MVNU Pulls Off Upset of No. 1 Grace College

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio. – The Mount Vernon Nazarene University men's basketball team (14-10, 6-8 CL) hosted Grace College (22-2, 12-2 CL) at Ariel Arena on Saturday, February 7. 

Entering the game, Grace sat atop the national rankings as the No. 1 team in the NAIA. This did not faze the Cougars, however, as MVNU got out to a quick 7-0 lead to start the first half. The Lancers responded with a 14-2 run, taking a 14-9 lead with 3:32 left in the half. While Grace would eventually push its lead to 21-16, MVNU battled back, responding with a 9-0 run. Both teams continued to trade baskets and fight for the lead as the first half wound down. Holding a 37-36 lead, Trent Koning hit a huge three as the halftime buzzer sounded, putting MVNU up 40-36.  

The momentum from Koning's three to end the first half carried over into the second as MVNU remained in control. Grace would bring the game within one possession on multiple occasions, but it was unable to tie or take the lead away from the Cougars for any of the second half. Up 68-61 with 2:32 left on the clock, Koning drilled another three to give MVNU its largest lead of the game to that point. The Cougars held strong down the stretch, pulling off the 79-66 upset victory over the top-ranked Lancers. 

MVNU shot 43.8% from the field and was 8-22 (36.4%) from three. The Cougars had 21 assists to just 10 turnovers. MVNU played stifling defense, holding the Lancers to just 32.8% shooting from the floor and 22.2% (6-27) from deep. Isaiah Brown led all scorers off the bench with 20 points on 8-15 shooting from the floor. Koning added 14 points and seven assists. Peyton Heiss had 12 points and seven rebounds, while Reed Platfoot contributed with 11 points, six rebounds, and three assists. 

Coach Ronai's Thoughts 

"Super proud of our group. They really honed in defensively and attacked on that end of the floor. I thought we did a great job of changing sides on the offensive end. Grace makes things tough on both ends of the floor, and our guys really executed the plan well. Looking forward to getting better on Monday." 

What's Next 

MVNU plays at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana on Wednesday, February 11. Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m. 

Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students, and working adults. With a 327-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education both in-seat and online to nearly 2,200 students from 36 states, 1 U.S. commonwealth and 41 foreign countries.