WINONA LAKE, Ind. (Interstat) — The Grace Lancers, propelled by a dominant performance from Ian Raasch and a decisive late surge, outlasted the Cumberlands Patriots 82-74 in a high-octane NAIA men’s basketball game Friday night.

The contest, played before a home crowd at Grace, was a tightly contested affair that saw the Lancers execute in the final minutes to secure the victory and improve their season record to 28-3. Cumberlands fell to 24-8.

The most critical phase of the game unfolded in the closing 90 seconds. With the score knotted at 74, Grace’s Grady Carpenter drove for a layup to put the Lancers ahead 76-74. After a Cumberlands timeout, the Patriots’ Kyle Duke was fouled and calmly sank two free throws to tie the game again at 76 with 38 seconds remaining.

Grace immediately responded. On the ensuing inbound play, Carpenter found Michael Wellman for a quick layup, restoring a two-point lead. Following a missed 3-pointer by Cumberlands, the Patriots were forced to foul. Gage Sefton made four consecutive free throws in the final 19 seconds to seal the outcome, part of an 8-0 Grace run to end the game after the 74-74 tie.

The game featured prolific offensive halves, with Grace taking a narrow 40-39 lead into the break. The second half continued the back-and-forth trend, setting the stage for the dramatic finish.

Raasch led all scorers and was the focal point for Grace, finishing with 19 points and eight rebounds. His ability to draw fouls and convert at the free-throw line, where he went 9 for 9, provided consistent offense. He was supported by Gavin Betten, who added 19 points and nine rebounds, and Hunter Walston, who contributed 16 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Cumberlands was led by Andrew McConnell’s game-high 24 points. Kyle Duke added 15 points and five assists for the Patriots, who kept pace with the Lancers throughout but could not counter the final push.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Grace entered the game with an 86.9% probability to win. The victory continues a strong season for the Lancers, while Cumberlands saw a two-game winning streak snapped.