Warner Pac Falls to Grace at NAIA Tourney
Boxscore
POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. – Senior center Eric Gaff scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead unseeded Grace College to an 82-72 victory over 13th-seeded Warner Pacific in the first round of the NAIA Division II men’s basketball championships.
The 32-team tournament is being played at Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of the College of the Ozarks.
The Knights, making an appearance in the national tournament under Bart Valentine for the fourth consecutive year, led 68-62 with 8:45 remaining before the Lancers launched their comeback. Grace, out of Winona Lake, Ind., outscored WPC 20-4 down the stretch to advance to a second-round game Friday vs. Ottawa, which knocked out fourth-seeded Walsh (Ohio) earlier Thursday.
Michael Wienhorst added 20 points and David Swanson 17 for Grace (21-10).
Warner Pacific had four players in double figures, led by senior forward Adam Moore, who closed out his career with a team-high 21 points. Kaylone Riley had 15, Aukai Wong 14 and Kenan Dizdrevic 11.
The Knights had five more field goals than Grace, but the Lancers had a significant advantage at the free throw line, converting 23 of 28 attempts compared to just 1 of 3 for Warner Pacific.
Gaff, the nation’s leading rebounder, had nine of his 12 rebounds in the second half.
Warner Pacific ended its season 21-9.