UPLAND, Ind. - Grace's women's basketball team won a hard-fought game at Taylor on Saturday, 81-76.

The Lancers (6-3, 1-3 Crossroads League) used 43 combined points from Morganne Houk and Peyton Murphy to power past the Trojans.

The teams could barely be separated in the first quarter. The Lancers held a slight lead for much of the period, but the Trojans used a late 7-0 spurt to pull ahead.

Sophia Morrison scored the final points of the quarter, but Taylor still led 18-16.

The Trojans scored on their first four possessions of the second quarter, building up a 24-17 lead.

But the Lancers used a 7-0 run of their own to erase the deficit. Morrison scored three points during the spurt.

Taylor held a one-point edge (36-35) at halftime. Houk had 13 points to lead the Lancers at the break.

Grace's offense was at its most efficient in the third quarter. The Lancers committed just two turnovers and nabbed four steals.

Two quick triples from Murphy and Houk handed the Lancers a 48-44 lead.

With two minutes left in the third quarter, Grace used defense to fuel its offense. Steals from Murphy and Maddy Poynter led to fastbreak layups, and the Lancers built an 11-point cushion.

The Trojans ended the quarter on a flurry, however. Taylor buried a trio of 3-pointers over the final 110 seconds of the quarter, slashing Grace's lead to three by the end of the quarter. TU shot 5 of 7 on 3s in the period to stay within striking distance.

Taylor scored four straight points to begin the fourth quarter, pulling ahead by one.

The Lancers countered with a critical 9-0 run to seize control. Morrison and Murphy combined for the nine points, including an and-1 from Murphy to lift Grace to a 67-59 lead with 6:59 to play.

Grace forced its way to the free throw line throughout the fourth quarter, giving the Lancers a consistent source of offense.

Kensie Ryman buried a pivotal 3-pointer with 3:20 remaining in the game, and the Lancers took care of the rest from the foul line.

Grace went 12 of 13 from the free throw line (92.3 percent) in the final period, allowing Grace to secure the five-point win.

Murphy was a monster in the box score with 21 points, 14 rebounds, 6 steals, 3 assists and 1 blocked shot.

Houk tallied 22 points, 5 steals, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, and Morrison had 12 points, 3 boards and 2 steals.

Ryman finished with nine points and two assists, Poynter scored eight, and Bekah Marshall notched 7 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists.

Grace survived Taylor shooting 50 percent on 3-pointers (10 of 20). The Lancers forced Taylor into 23 turnovers, scoring 22 points off those miscues.

"I thought we looked more like ourselves tonight. It's been a tough stretch, but our ladies played with an aggressive mindset," said Grace head coach Dan Davis. "We were gritty, and our team showed a lot of character which doesn't surprise me at all. I'm proud of the way we competed tonight."

Next week, Grace will play at home on Friday at 11 a.m. against Cleary. Friday's games are part of a doubleheader with the men's team. The earlier start time will allow local elementary school students to attend the game, packing the arena for a memorable experience.