MEN’S BASKETBALL

For the second time in three years, the #RV Huntington men’s basketball team took down a No. 1-ranked, undefeated Grace squad, handing the Lancers their first loss of the season with a 72–65 overtime stunner Saturday afternoon inside Platt Arena.

Grace entered the contest as the only undefeated team in the NAIA, but Huntington wasn’t interested in résumés. After surviving a wild finish to regulation, the Foresters owned the extra period and delivered another unforgettable upset in front of a raucous home crowd.

Huntington appeared to be in control late in regulation, building the game’s largest lead at 51–40 with 7:21 remaining. Then everything flipped. The Foresters went cold, and Grace rattled off 12 straight points to seize a 55–53 lead with just 45 seconds left.

Just when momentum had fully swung, Kaden Johnson rose up and detonated a convincing dunk with just over 20 seconds remaining to snap the scoring drought and knot the game, sending it to overtime.

Overtime Belonged to the Foresters
Grace opened the extra period with a traditional three-point play, but from there it was all Huntington.

Johnson knocked down a pair at the line, Jackson Paul followed with a jumper and a free throw, and then Landon Biegel broke the game wide open. The junior drained back-to-back triples in a 30-second span, starting at the two-minute mark, turning a two-point game into an eight-point cushion that Grace couldn’t overcome.

Miles Good iced it from the stripe, going 5-for-6 in the final 40 seconds as the Foresters closed out the overtime win with poise.

Numbers That Mattered
Huntington shot 37.0 percent from three (10-for-27) while committing just 11 turnovers against Grace’s physical defense.

Johnson delivered a monster effort, finishing with 19 points and 13 rebounds for a double-double. Biegel was lethal off the bench, pouring in 15 points, all from deep on 5-for-7 shooting, to go along with five boards and three steals. Good added 14 points, while Paul chipped in 12 points and eight assists.

A Milestone Moment for Paul
As if knocking off the top team in the nation wasn’t enough, the afternoon also marked a career milestone for Jackson Paul, who became the 56th member of Huntington’s 1,000-point club. Needing just one point entering the day, Paul wasted no time, reaching the mark less than a minute into the game.

Grace Scoring Summary
Grace was led by Ian Raasch, who finished with 19 points, while Gage Sefton added 14 points and Hunter Walston posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. The Lancers were held to 36.9 percent shooting and just 4-for-21 from three, as Huntington’s defense clamped down when it mattered most.

With the win, Huntington improves to 17–5 overall and 8–4 in CL play, while Grace falls to 21–1 (11–1 CL). The Foresters hit the road Wednesday for another ranked showdown at #5 Indiana Wesleyan, tipping off at 7:30 p.m. in Marion.