WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace's men's basketball team added another ranked upset to its portfolio on Saturday.
The Lancers impressed in a 98-83 victory over No. 8 Marian at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center, leading for nearly the entire game.
Charlie Warner scored a season-high 28 points in an efficient performance. He shot 10-of-14 from the floor, 4-of-6 on 3-pointers and 4-of-4 on free throws.
The Lancers (14-8, 6-4 Crossroads League) are now in a four-way tie for third place in the league standings. Grace just concluded a seven-game stretch against Top 25 opponents, going 3-4 during that period.
The game started evenly, despite an early batch of 3-pointers from Grace. Jaret Sons, Myles Johnson, Warner and Hank Smith all hit triples in the opening nine minutes.
Grace gained its first separation midway into the first half. Grace unleashed a 14-2 run over a four-minute flurry.
Cody Holmes scored four quick points to start the run, and Johnson added five points in a row. Sons buried a triple, lifting the Lancers to their largest lead of the half at 32-17.
The Knights (16-5, 7-3 CL) kept within range but still trailed 44-34 at halftime. Grace shot 62 percent as a team in the half, including 50 percent on 3-pointers. The Lancers also assisted on 14 of their 18 made field goals. Warner's 12 points led all players.
Marian, conversely, made 38 percent as a team and 33 percent from beyond the arc.
The second half was a case study in a patient, efficient offense for Grace. The Lancers consistently found matchups to exploit, rarely forcing shots.
Grace ripped off 54 second-half points, shooting 60 percent after halftime.
The Lancers slowly ballooned their cushion, eventually leading by as many as 24 points after a Warner triple with 6:31 remaining.
The Knights attempted a last-gasp rally, managing to trim their deficit to 12. But Grace scored eight points over the final three minutes to ice the win.
Warner, who scored 16 second-half points, was one of five Lancers to score in double figures. Sons finished with 17 points, 6 assists and 6 boards after hitting 5-of-9 from downtown.
Johnson picked up a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 6-of-7 from the floor with a trio of 3-pointers.
Deaton tallied 13 points and three assists, Matt Jennings amassed 12 points, 7 assists and 2 steals, and Braxton Linville added six points and six dimes.
The Lancers will head next to Goshen on Wednesday at 8 p.m.