WINONA LAKE, Ind. – The last time Grace's men's basketball and Huntington played each other, it took late heroics to knock off the Foresters.
There was much less drama on Saturday. The 22nd-ranked Lancers (21-7, 11-5 Crossroads League) used a dominant interior game and balanced scoring to cruise by Huntington 80-63 at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center.
All five starters for Grace scored in double figures, and the Foresters (14-14, 4-12 CL) were outrebounded by 26.
The win moves Grace into a tie for third place in the league standings with Bethel after the Pilots' loss on Saturday.
Grace's offense came out firing in the opening half, ripping off 43 points on 50 percent shooting. The Lancers drilled a trio of 3-pointers over the first six minutes of play. Grace led 19-16 after eight minutes, and the Lancers used an 18-4 run to go on top 37-20. At halftime, Grace held a 43-27 advantage.
The Foresters' lack of size was exploited in the half as Grace outrebounded Huntington 23-6 in rebounds. Huntington's starting center Alec Peterson picked up his third foul of the period in less than five minutes of action, allowing Grace to dominate the glass. Grace had 18 second-chance points on 13 offensive rebounds over the first 20 minutes.
In the second half, Grace never led by fewer than 14 points and gradually built up a 24-point lead. The Lancers substituted liberally over the final five minutes. Overall, 16 players saw time on the court for the Lancers and 10 players got in the scoring column.
Kyle Fillman led Grace in scoring with 14 points and eight rebounds. Brandon Vanderhegghen had 13 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, and Dennis Williams finished with 12 points, 9 boards and 2 blocked shots.
Niko Read tallied 11 points with three treys, and Logan Irwin produced 10 points, 4 assists and 3 boards. Chad Hoffer notched 6 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals, and Erik Bowen chipped in four points and four boards.
Grace made 48 percent of its field goals for the game compared to 40 percent for Huntington. Grace also held a 46-20 advantage in rebounding.
The regular season will conclude next week. Grace will play at Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Tuesday before ending the season with a home doubleheader against archrival Bethel on Saturday.
