MVNU Unable to Upset No. 1 Lancers in Crossroads League Tournament Quarterfinals

WINONA LAKE, Ind. —  The No. 8 seeded Mount Vernon Nazarene University men's basketball team (14-15) traveled to the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center on Tuesday, February 25, to take on the No. 1 seeded Grace College Lancers (24-5) in the Crossroads League Tournament Quarterfinals matchup.

MVNU started strong offensively, jumping out to an 8-4 lead over the Lancers at the 18:22 mark. However, Grace responded, building a 19-13 advantage with 14 minutes remaining in the first half. Trent Koning, who had 14 points in the first half, cut the deficit to just four points at 20-24 with 11:17 left, but Grace went on a run to take its largest lead of the half at 43-28 with 2:29 remaining. The Cougars fought back, trimming the gap before halftime, with Grace still leading 45-36 at the break.

MVNU's offense caught fire, outpacing Grace 24-15 in the first 9 minutes and 40 seconds of the second half to seize a 60-59 advantage with 10:20 left on the clock. Both defenses tightened until MVNU broke through at 7:35, extending its lead to 62-59. However, Grace responded with a huge surge, shutting out MVNU for over five minutes and pulling ahead 77-63. Ultimately, MVNU fell to the top-seeded Lancers in the Crossroads League Tournament, as Grace secured an 83-64 victory.

Inside the Box Score:

MVNU connected on 37.5% of its field goal attempts and shot 25% (5-20) from deep.

Grace shot 50.8% from the field and shot 38.5% (10-26) from the three-point range.

Grace recorded 21 fast break points, while MVNU had 10.

MVNU held the advantage on the boards with a 41-35 rebounding edge and capitalized with 14 second-chance points.

Koning – 22 points (8-18 FG, 6-6 FT), 6 rebounds, 1 steal.

Milton Gage – 11 points (4-8 FG, 3-3 3PT), 2 assists, 2 rebounds.

Bailey Conrad – 9 points (3-9 FG, 1-2 3PT, 2-6 FT), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal.

Carter Jones – 8 points (4-9 FG), 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block.

Isaiah Brown – 8 points (4-7 FG), 3 rebounds, 2 blocks.

Peyton Heiss – 6 points (1-8 FG, 1-4 3PT, 3-3 FT), 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal.

Coach Ronai's Thoughts:

"So proud of this group. They have been a joy to coach all season long. The final score doesn't reflect what that game was. They battled for 40 minutes but just ran out of gas. This group had tremendous leadership from four outstanding seniors in Caleb, Bailey, Milton, and Carter, and I cannot thank them enough for their character and what they mean to this program."

Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, four-year, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students, and working adults. With a 327-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education both in-seat and online to nearly 2,100 students from 33 states and 26 foreign countries.