WINONA LAKE – A last-second layup gave visiting IU-South Bend a 64-62 victory over Grace’s women’s basketball team on Tuesday.

The Lady Lancers (1-1) were scoreless over the final 4:28 of regulation, allowing the Titans (2-0) to come from behind to spoil Grace’s home opener.

Juaneice Jackson scored 24 points with 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in a losing effort.

Jackson was the star of the opening half when she scored Grace’s first 13 points. She netted 16 first-half points on 6-of-12 shooting as the Lady Lancers trailed 32-30 at the halftime break.

Neither team gained significant separation in the second half as the sides swapped the lead throughout the final 20 minutes. The game went just as IU-South Bend head coach Steve Bruce thought it would.

“I knew that it was going to be this kind of game,” Bruce began. “It was just one of those games where it was a fight in a telephone booth. I think I was most impressed with our girls when they fell behind by about six points there but they stayed strong and stayed in the game.”

That moment followed an 8-0 Lady Lancers run where Grace captured a 62-56 lead, its largest of the contest. However, the basket by Jackson with 4:28 remaining proved to be Grace’s final points of the game.

Grace missed 10 straight shots down the stretch, including a number of shots in the paint. The Titans slowly chipped away at Grace’s lead until they tied the game at 62-62. IU-South Bend had a chance to take the lead with less than a minute remaining, but Grace’s defense forced a turnover.

Lady Lancer head coach Scott Blum thought his team played better in its second game of the season but knew they needed to be better down the stretch.

“Down the stretch I thought we had some good shots, they just didn’t fall,” said Blum. “That’s just the game of basketball though. Sometimes you get the luck of the bounce, I don’t believe in luck but basketball is just about when that ball goes in for you.”

On their ensuing possession, the Lady Lancers were fouled on an offensive rebound with 11 seconds to play. Grace missed the front-end of the bonus free throw situation, however, and Nichole Sly raced down the court and
finished the game-winning layup with 0.1 seconds on the clock.

The Titans made 64 percent of their field goals in the second half but only connected on 33 percent from the free throw line. Maegan Callaway led the Lady Titans with 26 points and nine rebounds. 2013 Wawasee graduate KiLee Knafel added five points, two rebounds and a steal in limited time off the bench for IUSB in her return to Kosciusko County.

For the game, Grace made 36 percent of their shots. They struggled to just 4-of-18 from the 3-point line (22 percent). Allison Kauffman finished with 13 points and eight rebounds, and Gabby Bryant added 10 points and five boards. Sarah Feasby also tallied six points, and Chloe Pridgen grabbed five rebounds

IU-South Bend will travel to Marion, IN on Saturday evening for a 7 p.m. tip against 2013 NAIA Division II National Champion Indiana Wesleyan University. The game will feature a match up of Wawasee graduates in Knafel from IU-South Bend and Taylor Goshert of IWU.

The Lady Lancers will continue non-league play on Saturday when they host Trinity Christian at 1 p.m. on Homecoming weekend. Grace’s team will be introduced on Wednesday evening during the Lancers’ Roundball Madness at the Manahan Orthopedic Capital Center.