LANSING, Mich- The Great Lakes Christian Men's Basketball team was at home for the first time in 2019 to take on Grace College Lancers of the NAIA. The Lancers jumped out the gate early to take a 22-17 lead and controlled tempo for much of the first ten minutes. In the second ten minutes of the half the Isiah Reed took over for the Crusaders scoring 13 points including the first half buzzer beater to give the Crusaders a narrow 48-47 lead. Jahmal Eggleston provided a spark off the bench for the Crusaders in the first half as well. The Crusaders shot 48 percent compared to the Lancers 50 percent in the first half.
The second half the Crusaders continued to control tempo led by Reed's strong play. The Crusaders held the lead for 13 minutes of the second half, until foul trouble plagued the home squad. Basit Seidu fouled out with 5 minutes remaining, and the Lancers used that to their advantage pounding it inside. The Quincy Green and JaQuin Jones also fouled out for the Crusaders. Three players fouling out was the most Crusaders to foul out in a game all season. The Crusaders would push in the final five but saw their offense stall, as Grace College was able to sink their free throws to win 100-92.
Inside the Box Score:
- Isiah Reed scored a season high 27 points in to go along with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals
- The Crusaders were outrebounded by the Lancers 46-23
- The Crusaders shot an uncharacteristic 22/32 from the free throw line for 68.8 percent.
- Grace College committed 18 turnovers compared to the Crusaders 12.
- Crusaders had five players in double figures
What Coach Says:
"We were in position to win the game tonight, but we just did not execute down the stretch. There were a lot of positives in this game offensively. I loved what Zae and Mal brought to the table. I thought Ethen Russell also had a quietly solid night. Ultimately defensively we need to be better and finish possessions. We must also do a better job from the free throw line. We left a lot of points out there, that would have been big." On what to expect for second semester, "These are the type of games we need to win. Grace is a quality opponent. This loss will sting, but we still have a lot more games out there. We will keep improving and working to change our best. Our whole focus is to get Boyce College on Friday."
What's Next:
The Crusaders will travel to Louisville, KY to take on Boyce College on Friday January 4th. Tip off is scheduled for 3:00p.