The No. 1 seed Grace Lancers secured an 82-74 victory over No. 4 seed Cumberlands in the NAIA National Championships Round of 16, continuing their tournament run. This marks the Lancers' fourth consecutive appearance in the final eight under head coach Scott Moore. Despite a rocky start, Grace powered through, relying on a dominant inside game to outscore the Patriots. With this win, they advance to face third-seeded Ave Maria in the quarterfinals on Saturday at 5 p.m. (Central Time).

By the Numbers
  • Grace shot 59% from the field, compared to Cumberlands' 37%.
  • The Lancers outscored the Patriots 62-30 in paint points.
  • Combined, Betten and Raasch scored 38 points for Grace.
  • Grace recorded a decisive +16 advantage in rebounds (43-27).
Yes, But

While Grace dominated inside and showed resilience despite early struggles, they made only one three-pointer, raising concerns about outside shooting efficiency heading into tougher matchups.

State of Play
  • The Lancers have won seven games in a row.
  • Grace's victory was marked by a strong second-half performance following a sluggish start.
What's Next

Looking ahead, the Lancers face Ave Maria in the quarterfinals, a matchup that will test their ability to adapt and exploit weaknesses in their opponent's defense, especially in shooting beyond the arc.

Bottom Line

Grace's ability to recover from adversity and dominate in the paint outlines their potential to contend more seriously for the championship as they advance through the tournament.