MISHAWAKA, Ind. - Grace's men's basketball team almost completed a comeback for the ages on Saturday.

The Lancers made a valiant rally before ultimately losing 101-95 at Bethel. Grace trailed by as many as 31 points in the second half. But the Lancers' dramatic comeback ran out of time.

Grace, who swept the season series last year with the Pilots, was unable to slow down Bethel's attack in the first half.

The game started evenly with the teams trading small runs. Grace led 13-9 after a 3-pointer by Haden Deaton, but the Pilots scored 10 straight points in a sign of things to come.

Elijah Malone hit a pair of free throws to end Bethel's 10-0 run, but the Pilots continued to charge. Bethel grabbed a 26-15 lead as Grace struggled with ball control. The Lancers committed 11 turnovers over the first 12 minutes.

Frankie Davidson sparked Grace's offense with seven quick points, but the Pilots were too dangerous from deep in the half.

Bethel grabbed a 22-point lead at 45-23 on the back of its 3-point shooting.

Grace did its best to recover but still trailed 58-37 at halftime. The Pilots made 10 of 16 from downtown (63 percent) before halftime compared to a 3-for-10 performance by Grace.

The Lancers coughed up the ball 13 times and were outrebounded 25-11.

The Pilots continued to roll after halftime, scoring the first 10 points of the half to further bury the Lancers.

Facing a 31-point deficit, Grace finally showed signs of life. The Lancers attacked quickly on offense, slashing into the paint on several possessions.

Grace went on a 20-3 surge, rallying to within 14 points at 71-57 with 14 minutes remaining.

With 7:30 to play, Jakob Gibbs drilled a triple to bring Grace to within nine at 85-76.

Two minutes later, Matt Jennings hit a corner 3-pointer as Grace trailed by just six to force a Bethel timeout.

With 4:30 remaining, Deaton hit a 3-pointer to trim the deficit to 87-85.

But the Pilots managed to get to the free throw line down the stretch, clinging to the lead as the clock wound down.

Grace was unable to get the final defensive stops the team needed as Bethel held on for a six-point win.

The Lancers outscored Bethel by 15 in the second half and shot 65 percent from the floor. Overall, Grace made 57 percent of its field goals.

Cade Gibbs poured in 23 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocked shots to lead Grace, and Jennings tallied 17 points, 8 assists and 6 boards.

Deaton had 15 points, 3 assists and 3 steals, Davidson notched 13 points and six rebounds, and Jake Wadding added 12 points with five boards.

The Lancers are back at home on Wednesday, hosting Spring Arbor at 7 p.m.