Grace Opens Hoops For Hope With Win
WINONA LAKE – Backcourt scoring lifted Grace’s women’s basketball team to a 71-61 win over Rochester on Friday.
The game was Grace’s opener in the annual Bennigan’s Terry Polston Hoops for Hope, held at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center.
Grace’s offense got off to a fast start, outscoring the Warriors 23-13 in the first quarter. Kelsie Peterson scored 10 of her 16 points during the first stanza, and Brooke Sugg added seven more over the final 3:55 to aid the Lady Lancers (4-3).
Rochester held Grace to just nine points in the second quarter, rallying to trim Grace’s advantage to 32-27 at halftime.
The Warriors (5-4) eventually earned a two-point lead in the third quarter before Grace began to put the game out of reach. The Lady Lancers’ guard play sparked a 16-2 run over the final 3:00 of the third quarter and the first 3:00 of the fourth. Sugg had eight of Grace’s points during the run, and Maycee Davis and Kelsey Sule scored four apiece to help the Lady Lancers to a 59-46 lead with 7:15 to play.
Four free throws in the final minute by Grace secured the 10-point win over Rochester.
Sugg exploded for a game-high 21 points. She hit 8-of-14 from the floor, 3-of-6 on 3-pointers and also grabbed six rebounds.
Peterson produced 16 points, 2 assists and 2 steals, and Davis added nine points and two steals in 13 minutes off the bench.
Gabby Miller tallied nine points and three rebounds, and Haley Richardson chipped in four points and six boards.
Grace shot a lower percentage from the floor than Rochester (38 percent to 42 percent), but the Warriors were forced into 23 turnovers. Grace also won the rebounding battle by four and took nine more free throws than Rochester.
The Lady Lancers will conclude the Hoops for Hope classic against Roosevelt on Saturday at 1 p.m.