LAKE FOREST, Ill. – One big run in the first half and another in the second proved to be the right ingredients for a 102-97 victory by the Grinnell College men's basketball team over Lake Forest College in a key Midwest Conference contest Saturday afternoon.
 
The Pioneers improved to 7-7 overall and 4-5 in league play while winning for the third time in their last four outings. Lake Forest fell to 8-5 overall and 6-3 in the MWC.
 
The Pioneers overcame a 20-point first-half deficit and then used a 26-9 run midway through the second half to earn the victory.
 
They also scorched the nets with 22-of-51 shooting from 3-point land, a 43.1 percent success rate.
 
Mike Porter '17 led Grinnell's balanced scoring attack with 16 points, while Julian Marx '17 had 14 and Jacob Ekstrand '18 tallied 13. Both Porter and Ekstrand had four treys apiece.
 
Marx also dished out seven assists and had two steals. Matt Jasaitis '18 and Vinny Curta '19 also had two steals, while Ekstrand grabbed six rebounds.
 
Lake Forest shot out to a 33-13 lead by the mid-point of the first half, but the Pioneers gradually rallied to within 47-45 by halftime.
 
Grinnell took the lead for good at 58-56 on Porter's layup with 16:37 left in the game. Leading 69-65 with 13:45 remaining, the Pioneers exploded with their big run.
 
The wealth was spread out during the spurt, as Porter scored eight of the points with the aid of two treys. Ekstrand, Nathan Balcom '18, Gus King '18 and Kyle Parker '17 all had 3-pointers, while Griffin Boehm '19 and Danny Thomas '18 added baskets, too.
 
Lake Forest rallied a bit, but got no closer than four down the stretch.
 
Grinnell entertains Cornell College at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Darby Gymnasium.