FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The No. 14-ranked Indiana Tech women's basketball team defeated Grace College, 88-70, in nonconference action on Tuesday evening in the Schaefer Center.
 
Keanna Gary led all scorers with 21 points while grabbing eight rebounds. Kendall Knapke added 18 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks while Haley Cook had 17 points. DeAnn Kauffman chipped in 15 points, four rebounds and two steals off the bench while Rachel Bell had a game-high six assists.
 
Cook would give the Warriors the lead right off the bat with a three on the team's opening possession and jump starting a 19-8 run for the Orange and Black. Kauffman would score six straight points for Tech to make it a 9-4 game at the 7:16 mark in the first while Baylee Rinehart knocked down a triple to put the hosts up 19-8 with 2:19 left in the first. Grace would close the quarter out strong though, using a 9-3 run to cut the deficit to 21-16 at the quarter break.
 
The Lancers would continue to chip away at the lead in the second and challenge the Warriors, not allowing Tech to get ahead by more than 12 points while cutting the deficit down to seven several times in the quarter, but the hosts would head into the locker room leading 37-29.
 
After a Grace jumper opened the third quarter, the Warriors would rattle off 10 straight points to grow their lead to 47-31 at the 6:28 mark. The Lancers would stop the run with a free throw at the 5:02 mark, but the Orange and Black would go on an 11-0 run thanks to a pair of triples from Cook and Knapke while Kauffman added in an old-fashioned three-point play.
 
Leading 58-35 heading into the fourth quarter, both sides would find their offense rhythm, with the Warriors shooting 70% from the field and the Lancers shooting 67.7% in a 35-30 quarter win for the visitors, but it would not be enough as the 14^th-ranked team in the nation extended their lead to as many as 25 to pick up their second win of the year.
 
Tech (2-1) returns to action Thursday as they take on IU Kokomo in a nonconference road game. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. from Cougar Gymnasium.