WINONA LAKE, IN —  In its first meeting in Shock history, WAU faced one-seeded Grace College. However, the Lancers' second-half surge in the NAIA Tournament first-round prevailed, and the Shock fell 85-65 in front of a packed crowd at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center in Winona Lake, IN.

Although WAU (18-11, 5-2 CAC) Emanuel Hylton and Derrick Hopkins pieced together double-digit scoring games, the Shock could not put away the three-time Crossroads League champions in Grace College (31-1).

Hylton scored 14 points and six rebounds, while Hopkins added 12 points, six rebounds, and two steals in his final game with the Shock. Mohamed Bundu and Michael Brown chipped in 9 points each.

As Grace opened up with a commanding dunk by the Lancers' All-American center, WAU forced pressure early, leading to nine first-half turnovers and a 0% (0-of-8) 3-point shooting percentage for Grace College. Although the Lancers protected the rim well with six first-half blocks, the Shock made five shots from behind the arc to gain the 36-31 advantage going into halftime.

Pushing the lead to seven points at the beginning of the second half, sixteenth-seeded WAU went cold after two minutes, resulting in a 5-0 run by the Lancers to tie the game. The Shock maintained the lead despite Grace College's furious attempt to get over the hump.

Another Shock-scoring drought combined with a solid defensive effort from the Lancers allowed for a 10-0 for Grace College to gain the last lead change of the night with 8:50 left in the game.

As the home crowd roared in excitement, the Lancers continued their dominance, adding another 10-0 run, giving Grace College the 12-point lead with six minutes left. Despite their efforts, the Shock could not recover, ending their season with an 85-65 loss in the opening round of the NAIA Men's Basketball Tournament.

For more information on the WAU men's basketball team, follow @WAUShock on Twitter and Instagram and @WAUMBB on Instagram and Twitter.