WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace's men's basketball team cruised to its sixth consecutive victory, beating Judson 104-57 on Tuesday.
The No. 8 Lancers (6-0) won by double digits for the fifth time in its first six outings, topping the century mark for the second time.
Elijah Malone starred for Grace. The center amassed 29 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocked shots in just 20 minutes of play. He shot an eye-popping 13 of 14 from the floor and hit both of his 3-point tries.
Grace turned to the post early and often against Judson. In particular, Grace turned to Malone.
Malone scored three straight baskets in the lane, including a thunderous, 1-handed dunk. He continued to flex his muscles early, tacking on another post finish and a 3-pointer.
Overall, Malone scored Grace's first 13 points. He finished the half shooting a perfect 8 for 8 from the floor for 18 points.
The Eagles stayed within range for much of the half. Judson found its baskets thanks to penetration, scoring on several contested jumpers.
Jake Wadding played a key spark off the bench for the Lancers. The crafty forward quickly dished out four assists and scored five points to help Grace find separation.
The Lancers charged away late in the half, grabbing a 49-35 lead at halftime.
Grace shot 61 percent from the floor compared to 47 percent for Judson. Cade Gibbs scored 13 points with eight boards in the half.
The second half tilted even more in Grace's favor. The Lancers used a 12-0 spurt early to seize a 24-point lead. Frankie Davidson had a pair of triples during the run, and Brycen Graber had a steal and slam to punctuate Grace's flurry.
Grace used a 14-2 run midway through the half to further expand its cushion. Cade Gibbs got the run started with an and-1, and Marcus Davidson scored four points.
Marcus Davidson and Brett Sickafoose got hot with seven minutes to play, scoring 12 points in less than three minutes. Davidson's 3-pointer with four minutes remaining gave Grace a 47-point lead.
The Lancers maintained that margin through the final buzzer.
Grace made 60 percent of its field goals in the win, holding Judson to 38 percent. The Lancers assisted on 30 of its 41 made buckets with 10 players recording an assist.
Cade Gibbs had a double-double with 18 points, 10 boards and 4 assists, and Frankie Davidson scored 13.
Marcus Davidson finished with 14 points, 3 assists and 0 turnovers in 13 minutes of action, and Wadding had 7 points, 7 boards and 6 assists.
Brycen Graber had four points and six assists, and Jakob Gibbs notched 6 points, 5 boards and 3 assists.
Jaylen Reese and Cole Beck each had an assist in the closing minutes, and Malachi Pearson added 2 points, 4 boards and 1 assist.
Next up, the Lancers will open up Crossroads League play. Grace will host Spring Arbor on Saturday at 3 p.m.
