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Grinnell College Athletics

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Champs
82
Lake Forest LFC 14-13,10-6 Midwest Conference
95
Winner Grinnell GC 20-7,11-5 Midwest Conference
Lake Forest LFC
14-13,10-6 Midwest Conference
82
Final
95
Grinnell GC
20-7,11-5 Midwest Conference
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Lake Forest LFC 31 51 82
Grinnell GC 54 41 95

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Ted Schultz

Grinnell men's basketball team punches its ticket to the big show

Pioneers win MWC Tournament title for first NCAA D-III Tourney berth in 24 seasons

MONMOUTH, Ill. - A record-breaking season keeps chugging along for the Grinnell College men's basketball team.

The Pioneers punched their ticket to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time in 24 seasons Saturday afternoon by knocking off Lake Forest College 95-82 in the Midwest Conference Tournament championship game. 

Grinnell is making its fourth trip to the big show, having done so in 2001 and 1996 as well as 1962 when the event was known as the NCAA College Division Tournament.

The Pioneers, who set a school record for victories in a season while improving to 20-7, will learn their NCAA foe and where the game will be played during Monday's selection show slated for 11 a.m. Central time.

Grinnell, which set a school record for free throws in a season with 562, was on fire from the start of Saturday's win. The Pioneers bolted out to a 54-31 halftime lead and held on down the stretch.

It was just a 31-25 lead with 6:43 to go in the first half before a quick run put the Pioneers ahead 40-29. The Pioneers kept it up from there, closing the half with a 14-2 run with baskets from Gabe Garcia '27, Nick Courtney '26 and Zach Rosen '26, a three-pointer by Kai Te Huki '27, three free throws from Sean Murphy '26 and basket by Tolu Johnson '25.

Lake Forest started quickly in the second half, closing within 59-55 at the 13:07 mark. But Sean Walser '26, Courtney and Dar all scored for a 65-55 cushion. The Pioneers continued to hold the Foresters at bay on their way to the victory and tourney crown.

Garcia led the Pioneers' balanced scoring attack with 14 points, Dar and Courtney had 13 and Rosen tallied 11. Courtney's point total was a career-high, as were his two blocks. Courtney and Johnson each had six rebounds, Dar dished out four assists and Walser tallied two steals.

Garcia boosted his career free throw total to 289 and Johnson upped his rebound total to 466, both 13th in GC history. John Vincent '26 now has 37 blocks, which ranks 16th all-time. On the season chart, Garcia has 154 free throws to rank 10th and Dar's 128 assists are 12th.

On the team season chart, Grinnell's totals of 1,020 free throws rank second all-time and 3,000 points are third. The Pioneers moved to sixth in assists with 523 and eighth in blocked shots with 87.

Grinnell's first-round NCAA Tourney game is slated for Friday.
 
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