MISHAWAKA, Ind. - Grace's men's basketball team secured a key 87-84 win at rival Bethel on Wednesday night.

The Lancers (16-2, 6-2 Crossroads League) outplayed Bethel for much of the game, leading by as many as 18 in the second half. But the scrappy Pilots nearly produced a comeback.

Grace's lead dwindled to three in the final five minutes, but the Lancers made several timely defensive stops to keep Bethel from retaking the lead down the stretch.

For the game, Grace shot a sizzling 59 percent from the floor, and the Pilots shot 47 percent. Frankie Davidson scored 17 of his team-high 24 points after halftime, adding five assists and four rebounds in a strong showing.

The two sides were deadlocked after 11 minutes with the score 20-20.

Grace made its first push at that junction, scoring eight straight points which was keyed by dunks from Jakob Gibbs and Elijah Malone.

The Lancers maintained a lead, going into halftime ahead 39-35.

In the first half, Grace shot 57 percent from the floor compared to Bethel's 42 percent. The Lancers did have 10 first-half turnovers and struggled to shoot 2 of 9 from beyond the arc.

Grace did its damage in the paint, scoring 28 points in the lane.

Jakob Gibbs led the scoring with eight points before the half, and Frankie Davidson and Elijah Malone tallied seven apiece.

The Lancers asserted themselves to begin the second half. Grace erupted for 21 points over a five-minute span, blowing a four-point lead into an 18-point cushion. The run was punctuated by a dunk from Malone to make the score 62-44 with 14 minutes remaining.

Grace still led by 16 when Brycen Graber buried a triple with 9:33 on the clock, but the Pilots (12-6, 4-4 CL) had a run ready to go.

Bethel unleashed a rapid 17-4 run, hitting a trio of 3-pointers to rally within 72-69 with 5:42 left to play.

Davidson slowed Bethel's momentum by converting an and-1, but the Pilots continued to keep the score close.

With just under three minutes to play, Davidson picked out Cade Gibbs for a two-handed flush. On the next play, Davidson drilled a 3-pointer to expand the Lancers' lead to 84-77 with 2:24 on the clock.

Grace's defense locked down over the next two minutes, holding Bethel scoreless for four straight possessions.

Grace's offense also went quiet during that span; the Pilots snuck within three at 84-81 with 15 seconds to play.

Carter Stoltzfus then hit a pair of clutch free throws to grow the lead to five, and Jakob Gibbs later iced the win with a free throw in the closing seconds.

Davidson shot 9 of 15 from the floor and 3 of 6 on 3-pointers. Jakob Gibbs finished with 16 points, 2 assists, 1 block and 1 steal, and Malone added 16 points, 7 boards and 2 blocks.

Cade Gibbs produced 10 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists, Graber notched eight points and five assists, and Stoltzfus scored five points off the bench.

Ian Scott had four points and seven rebounds, and Jake Wadding tallied 4 points, 5 boards and 3 assists.

Grace outscored Bethel 52-24 in the paint and held a plus-11 advantage in rebounding.

The Lancers remain on the road this Saturday for a pivotal clash at Huntington. The game, which follows the women's Grace/HU contest, is slated to tip off at 3 p.m. Grace holds a one-game lead on Huntington for second place in the league standings.