LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Grinnell College made a huge late charge, but the hole proved too deep as the Pioneer men's basketball team lost a 104-91 decision at Lake Forest College in Midwest Conference action Saturday afternoon.
The loss was the Pioneers' first of the season as they moved to 6-1 overall and 1-1 in the league. Lake Forest, predicted by league coaches to finish second in the MWC, improved to 6-1 in all games and 3-0 in the MWC.
The Pioneers trailed by as many as 24 points in the second half before posting a furious rally, coming within 10 points in the final minute.
Vinny Curta '19 and Ky-Sean Johnson '19 each scored 23 points for Grinnell, while Johnson also had a career-high four assists and Curta three steals.
Hannes Kogelnik '21 added 12 points and Zack Stice '21 had a career-high 10. Nathan Balcom '18 tallied three steals and Griffin Boehm '19 grabbed six rebounds.
Grinnell took a 7-3 lead on a layup by Curta and later was tied 15-all following Stice's 3-pointer. The Pioneers' final lead was 18-17 on Johnson's 3-pointer, which the Foresters followed with a 16-2 run.
The hosts gradually upped the lead and were ahead 58-37 at halftime. They then stretched the gap to 24 before the Pioneers made a late run and were within 101-91 after Kogelnik's 3-pointer.
However, Grinnell ran out of time as Lake Forest hung on for the win.
The Pioneers travel to Mount Vernon Wednesday to take on Cornell College. The tip-off is at 5:30 p.m.