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Gabe Garcia
Julia Marlin
116
Grinnell GC 2-2,0-0 Midwest Conference
129
Winner Wartburg WAR 4-1,0-0 American Rivers
Grinnell GC
2-2,0-0 Midwest Conference
116
Final
129
Wartburg WAR
4-1,0-0 American Rivers
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Grinnell GC 65 51 116
Wartburg WAR 63 66 129

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Ted Schultz

Grinnell's Gabe Garcia joins 1,000-point club in loss at Wartburg

WAVERLY, Iowa - Gabe Garcia '27 became the 30th player in Grinnell College men's basketball history to reach the 1,000-point milestone in the Pioneers' 129-116 non-conference loss at Wartburg College Wednesday night.

The hosts used a massive comeback to pull out the victory after Grinnell opened a 19-point lead early in the second half. Grinnell extended a 65-63 halftime cushion to 85-66 in the opening minutes of the second frame, but the Knights scored 63 points in the final 16 minutes of the game to take the lead and then hold off the Pioneers.

Garcia, who reached the 1,000-point milestone in the first half, scored a team-high 22 points for Grinnell. 

The contest was deadlocked 63-all late in the first half before Kai Te Huki's '27 layup at the buzzer gave the Pioneers a 65-63 lead heading into the locker room.

Grinnell (2-2) fed off that momentum, opening the second half with a 20-3 run for a commanding 85-66 lead. Garcia began the spurt with a free throw before the Knights got two of their own to cut the gap to 66-65. Te Huki followed with a 3-pointer, Strahinja Nikolic '27 made a layup and Sean Murphy '26 converted a four-point play with a trey and free throw. Nick Lundy '27 followed with a jumper and Tanner Deal '27 hit a 3-pointer for an 80-65 lead.

After a Wartburg free throw, Aidan Wiley '29 made one of his own and Lundy followed with two jumpers for an 85-66 lead with 16:20 remaining in the game. During the run, Grinnell held Wartburg (4-1) to 0-of-6 from the field while forcing four turnovers.

But the Knights caught fire after that, gradually chipping away at the lead and going ahead 95-94. Murphy stopped the bleeding with a 3-pointer for Grinnell, and later Lundy made a layup to put the Pioneers ahead 99-97. It was back and forth for a few minutes, with Grinnell leading 103-101 on Luka Pinto's '29 layup at the 8:08 mark. But the Knights answered with a 12-1 run to take command and secured the win down the stretch.

Besides Garcia's big scoring output, Te Huki and Lundy finished with 17 points apiece, Murphy scored 16 and Zach Rosen '26 had 13. Lundy also grabbed seven boards and Rosen dished out seven assists. Te Huki and Lundy each had four steals as Grinnell came up with nine as a team.

From here, Grinnell heads to Principia College for a 1 p.m. test Saturday. The Pioneers open Midwest Conference play after that, hosting Beloit College at 5 p.m. next Tuesday.



 
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