CHICAGO (Interstat) — Gage Sefton scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds as Grace, the visiting team, rolled past St. Xavier (Ill.) 95-44 in a men’s NAIA basketball game Wednesday at the Shannon Center. The Lancers improved to 5-1 while the Cougars fell to 1-3. Grace controlled the game from the opening minutes, using a 3-point barrage and a decisive first-half run to build a commanding lead. St. Xavier (Ill.) never found an offensive rhythm.

Sefton, who played 26 minutes, added one assist and one block. Hunter Walston finished with 6 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and one block in 21 minutes. Ian Raasch had 15 points, five rebounds and four assists in 21 minutes. Marko Tojagic of St. Xavier (Ill.) had 11 points, seven rebounds, one assist and one block in 26 minutes. Grady Carpenter contributed four points, three rebounds and six assists in 21 minutes. Gavin Betten added six points, seven rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes. Luke Bricker scored eight points with five rebounds and one block in 18 minutes. DJ Wilson of St. Xavier (Ill.) had five points, four rebounds and one block in 14 minutes. Cannen Houser had five points, two rebounds and two assists in 14 minutes, and Isaac Schultz scored nine points with one assist in four minutes.

Grace opened the game with Sefton’s 3-point jump shot and answered an early St. Xavier (Ill.) burst that included a layup and free throw from Maurice Thomas and a layup from Tojagic. Ian Raasch made layups and a jump shot, Grady Carpenter added a layup, and Sefton hit several 3-pointers as Grace pulled away. Michael Wellman made a dunk and two layups during the first half, while Cannen Houser added a layup and a 3-pointer. Luke Bricker connected from 3-point range twice, and Isaac Schultz scored on a layup and a 3-pointer. Hunter Walston had a three-point play and a 3-pointer that helped extend the margin. St. Xavier (Ill.) received a 3-pointer from Anthony Vaval, a 3-pointer from DJ Wilson, and inside baskets from Don Ferguson and Miles Gillespie. Vlad Karasev added two free throws, and Landon Rivers made a layup, but the Cougars could not keep pace.

Grace shot 34 of 65 from the floor, 12 of 21 from 3-point range and 15 of 16 from the free-throw line. St. Xavier (Ill.) shot 16 of 65 overall, 2 of 20 from beyond the arc and 10 of 14 at the line. Grace held a 58-26 rebounding advantage, including 11-7 on the offensive glass. The Lancers had seven assists, five blocks, 19 turnovers and 16 fouls. The Cougars had 14 assists, four blocks, 11 turnovers and 17 fouls. Grace scored 95 points from 81 possessions for an offensive rating of 117.9. St. Xavier (Ill.) scored 44 points from 76 possessions for an offensive rating of 58.2.

Grace’s depth and size around the basket helped offset a 19-turnover night. The Lancers finished with a 32-rebound edge and limited St. Xavier (Ill.) to two 3-pointers on 20 attempts. Sefton led all scorers while Walston controlled the glass with 13 rebounds. Tojagic paced the Cougars with 11 points and seven rebounds. Grace has won five of its first six games, while St. Xavier (Ill.) dropped its third game in four starts. Grace next plays at Taylor, while St. Xavier (Ill.) next hosts Bethel (Ind.). The Lancers led comfortably throughout the second half.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Grace 86, St. Xavier (Ill.) 80. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Grace with a 96.5 percent probability to win.