GRINNELL, Iowa – Not only did the Grinnell College men's basketball complete its second consecutive regular-season sweep of Cornell College Wednesday, the Pioneers also maintained the miniscule gap they have in the Midwest Conference title race.
Grinnell won for the third time in a row with a 114-94 decision over the Rams at Darby Gymnasium. With the victory, the Pioneers remained just one game behind Monmouth College in the MWC standings at 9-3 while moving to 16-5 overall.
All it took for the Pioneers to emerge victorious was one huge push in the first half. Grinnell went on a 17-2 run over a three-minute span to turn a three-point edge into an 18-point lead.
With the hosts leading just 25-22 with 11:05 remaining, John Vincent '26 and Harris Dar '28 both scored from close range and Dar added a free throw for a 30-22 edge. After a basket by Cornell, Gabe Garcia '27 made a layup and Mitch Priest '25 cashed in on a 3-pointer for a 35-24 lead.
Nick Courtney '26 added a dunk on a fast break, Strahinja Nikolic '27 added a layup and David Bluder '25 sank a trey to put Grinnell ahead 42-24 with 8:19 left. Grinnell led 61-42 at intermission and was never threatened after that, dropping the Rams to 7-4 in the MWC and 13-7 in all games.
The Pioneers, who held a 52-42 edge in rebounds, saw five players reach double figures led by Kai Te Huki '27 with 23 on 5-of-13 shooting from 3-point land. Garcia scored 15 points, Vincent added 12, Dar put in 11 and Sean Murphy '26 chipped in with 10.
Nick Lundy '27 and Tolu Johnson '25 each grabbed eight rebounds and Zach Rosen '26 dished out a career-best seven assists. Garcia also had three steals.
Jackson Leone '25 now ranks 13th in program history with 134 career steals, Johnson is 16th with 444 rebounds and Te Huki is 20th in scoring with 1,197 points. The Pioneers have 369 steals this season, which ranks 10th all-time, while their 983 rebounds are 15th.
Grinnell will entertain Lake Forest College at 3 p.m. Saturday in Darby Gymnasium. Senior Day festivities will precede the contest.