KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - The Lancers came, saw and conquered on their trip to Oregon.

Grace's men's basketball team dispatched the home team, beating Oregon Tech 84-69 in a physical outing.

The Owls (2-1), who are receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll, tasted defeat for the first time. The No. 2-ranked Lancers, meanwhile, improved to 4-0 on the young season.

Saturday's win also wrapped up the Crossroads/Cascade Classic - a four-team competition pitting the Crossroads League against the Cascade Collegiate Conference. Grace won all four games across the two-year classic, including a pair of wins last season at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center. Overall, the Crossroads League went 7-1 in the cross-conference showdown.

Grace's defense held the Owls to 69 points on 42 percent shooting; the Lancers also blocked seven shots, including five from Elijah Malone.

Malone finished with a stacked stat line of 19 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks. He shot 11 of 11 from the free throw line.

Oregon Tech began the game red-hot, hitting six of its first eight shots. The Owls jumped out to a 12-4 lead, sending their home crowd into an early frenzy.

But the Lancers quieted the fans with an efficient 14-3 run. Cade Gibbs scored four points during the run, and a 3-pointer from Brett Sickafoose put the Lancers quickly on top 18-15.

A few minutes later, an almost entirely different lineup from Grace went on another run to give the Lancers separation.

Ian Scott was a key figure during Grace's 14-2 charge; the versatile junior hit a pair of 3-pointers, and his layup with 7:38 remaining put Grace in front 32-22. Sickafoose also hit a triple during the spurt.

The Owls did their best to chip away at Grace's cushion, coming to within five points late in the half. But Grace's aggressive play on offense put OIT in foul trouble.

The Lancers were awarded with 15 free throws in the half, allowing Grace to take a 46-37 lead at halftime.

Malone (13 points) and Scott (nine points) accounted for 22 points in the half to lead Grace's offense.

Both teams shot well from the floor; Grace made 54 percent of its attempts while OIT was at 50 percent. The Owls also made 42 percent on 3s.

Grace had a key advantage on the boards, outrebounding OIT by nine before halftime.

The Lancers began the second half with six quick points, helping push their advantage by 12.

But Grace was whistled for seven fouls in the first six minutes of the second half, allowing the Owls to earn their way to the free throw line.

Neither team shot well from deep. The two sides combined to shoot 1 of 17 on 3-pointers during the second half. Grace missed all eight of its long-range tries.

But while Grace's outside shooting was off, the Lancers excelled in the paint. Grace punished the smaller Owls with repeated post touches and drives to the rim.

For the game, the Lancers doubled up the Owls in paint points (52 to 26). Grace had 30 of its 38 second-half points converted in the paint.

The Lancers refused to let their lead get smaller than eight points for the final 14 minutes of regulation. 

Each time the Owls seemed ready to make a run, the Lancers forced the ball close to the rim. Cade Gibbs, Wadding, Malone and Scott made OIT pay by converting easy buckets in the paint.

OIT, conversely, was held to mid-range jumpshots and contested looks against Grace's stingy defense.

Cade Gibbs helped Grace close the game with six points in the final four minutes. The Lancers pulled away late to win by 15. Gibbs made 8 of 12 from the floor for his 18 points, adding four rebounds and two steals.

Wadding amassed 15 points, 8 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks, and Scott had 11 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.

Sickafoose buried two 3-pointers, Carter Stoltzfus had 3 points, 4 assists and 2 steals, and Jakob Gibbs added 5 points, 4 boards and 1 assists. Ian Raasch also chipped in five points and two assists off the bench.

After a few weeks on the road, Grace will return home on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. matchup against Governors State.