Huntington Edges Past Lancers
HUNTINGTON – Grace and No. 16 Huntington tangled in an instant classic in Crossroads League men’s basketball competition as the Foresters pulled out a 64-62 victory on Saturday.
The Lancers (16-11; 8-8 CL) had six field goal attempts and three free throws in the final 4:49, but they missed all but one foul shot down the stretch. The Foresters (23-5; 12-4 CL) ended the game on an 8-1 run to rally past the upset-minded Lancers.
Greg Miller, the reigning NAIA Division II Player of the Week, had 15 points, 10 boards and four assists to lead Grace offensively, and Grace had a plus-seven advantage in rebounding.
The teams swapped small leads in the opening half. Huntington led by six points early, and Grace held a five-point advantage with 4:35 remaining. Niko Read scored the last points of the half on a 3-pointer to tie the game at 31-31.
Huntington tried to break away five minutes into the second half by scoring eight consecutive points, but Grace countered with 14 unanswered points including six points from Kyle Fillman. The contest stayed tilted in the Lancers’ favor as a bucket by Logan Irwin lifted Grace to a 61-56 lead with 4:50 left in the game.
Grace’s five-point lead dwindled away until the score was tied at 62-62 with 47 seconds remaining on an Irwin free throw. Grace made a defensive stop on the ensuing possession, but the Lancers missed the front-end of the bonus free throw. Huntington was fouled on the rebound and made 1-of-2 on their foul shots.
Caleb Featherston missed a potential game-winning shot with five seconds remaining, and Huntington made another foul shot to extend its lead to two. Irwin’s desperation 3-pointer was off target at the buzzer.
Irwin finished with 14 points and four assists, and Fillman had 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting off the bench.
The Lancers conclude the regular season next week. Grace hosts Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Tuesday for “Senior Night” before traveling to rival Bethel for a men’s/women’s doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.