2004-05 Press Releases

The NAIA has chosen Graceland men’s basketball coach Rich Harrop as the recipient of the 2005 Region V Coach of Character Award, presented by the NAIA and Champions of Character.

To be nominated for the award, a person must intentionally implement character in coaching, be involved in the community and base his teachings in the five core values of the NAIA Champions of Character initiative, including respect, integrity, sportsmanship, responsibility and servant leadership.

Coach Rich Harrop demonstrates character in all he does at Graceland. “He is an integral part of our program that works to develop character on and off the basketball court,” says Associate Head Coach Ted Quinn. “His leadership in community service, player-counseling and team prayer are just a few examples of intentional character coaching situations that Coach Harrop actively engages in.”

Coach Harrop has a long list of accomplishments in the 40 years he has coached basketball at the collegiate and high school levels. At Graceland, Harrop was the conference coach of the year for the 1991-92 season, coached nationally ranked teams and has 160 wins in 15 years with the Yellowjackets.

“Coach Harrop not only embraces the five core values of the Champions of Character, he lives them through his daily contact with the young student-athletes on campus,” explains Director of Athletics, Dan Hanton, who is a former teammate, classmate and coaching colleague of Harrop. “Rich reaches out to them in a way that seems to touch their hearts as well as their physical abilities.”

At the high school level, Harrop was selected to coach in the Ohio all-star game and coached two first team all-state players. His teams won eight conference titles, eight sectional tournament championships and three district titles. Harrop was coach of the year nine times, winning more than 400 games.

“I try to impress on my players the spiritual aspect of life, as well as the physical, and that they must work together as one,” says Harrop. “These are values I believe are important for all coaches to base their coaching on.”

The NAIA organized the Champions of Character initiative in 2000 to reaffirmed its purpose to enhance the character-building aspects of sport. Through Champions of Character, the NAIA seeks to create an environment in which every student-athlete, coach, official and spectator is committed to the true spirit of competition through five tenets: respect, integrity, responsibility, servant leadership and sportsmanship. This program will educate and create awareness of the positive character-building traits afforded by sports and return integrity to competition at the collegiate and youth levels while impacting all of society.

The NAIA has crowned Graceland guard Matt Lynch a first team All-American. Lynch was the only first team honoree and one of just three players from the Heart of America Athletic Conference to be rewarded All-American status.

Lynch, from Mt. Ayr, Iowa, averaged 21.3 points, 3.8 steals, 4.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds in his senior year at Graceland. Lynch shot 47 percent from the field, 32 percent from three-point land and 73 percent at the free throw line.

In his four years at Graceland, Lynch played in 96 games, scoring 1484 points, snatching 267 steals and passing 314 assists. He shot 45 percent from the field, 33 percent behind the arc and 71 percent at the charity stripe. The five-foot-nine-inch guard also averaged 4.4 rebounds.

Lynch has made his way to Graceland’s all-time record list, leading the way in steals in a career (267), average steals in a career (2.8), total steals season (118), average steals in a season (3.8) and most steals in a game (12). He is ranked in the top 10 in Graceland basketball history in 26 categories, in the top five in 11 of those categories.

This season, Lynch was the conference player of the year, a four-time conference player of the week and was the NAIA player of the week in early February.

Director of Athletics Dan Hanton has promoted Ted Quinn to head coach of the men’s basketball team at Graceland University. Quinn, who was an assistant under retired head coach Rich Harrop the past three years, begins his first year as a collegiate head coach in the fall of 2005.

“Graceland is very fortunate to have Ted Quinn as the new men's basketball coach,” says Dan Hanton, Director of Athletics at Graceland. “Ted is a quality young man possessing a great work ethic, a vast knowledge in the arena of basketball, as well as an outstanding recruiter. He is definitely a fit for Graceland University.”

Before coming to Graceland, Quinn served as the top assistant at Mount Marty College in Yankton, S.D. Quinn helped guide Mount Marty College to annual success in the South Dakota-Iowa Conference and Great Plains Athletic Conference while helping develop three all-American players, seven academic all-Americans and seven all-conference players.

Ted also served as a head coach at Wakonda High School for two years. While there, his teams earned District 8B runner-up, six all-conference awards and a first team all-state award.

During his college career, Quinn lettered in three seasons for the Mount Marty College Lancers after transferring from the University of Minnesota where he was a member of the Golden Gopher baseball team. Quinn served one season as a student assistant for the Lancers while recovering from ankle surgery. As a high school athlete, Quinn was a two-time South Dakota all-state player for Highmore High School.

Quinn is a 1992 graduate of Highmore High School, a 1997 graduate of Mount Marty College with a bachelor’s degree in history education, and a 2001 graduate of the University of South Dakota with a master’s degree in athletic administration and sports psychology.

In addition to coaching basketball at Graceland, Ted serves as the LEAD Curriculum Director. He and his wife Jackie have been married for nine years and are the proud parents of a one-year-old daughter named Jenna Kate.

Graceland’s Rich Harrop coached his last game for the Yellowjacket men’s basketball team on Saturday, February 26, after 15 years as the head coach of the men’s basketball program.

Harrop was presented with a varsity letter jacket from Graceland and his wife, Judy, was given a Graceland chair that Harrop has sat in at the head of the bench during games since his arrival in 1990.

Harrop’s most recent coaching highlight came on December 11 against Lindenwood University, when he won his 500th career game. Harrop ended his coaching career with a record of 509-467, 160 of those wins at Graceland.

Rich has been coaching for 40 years. The first 25 years were spent at the high school level and the past 14 years at Graceland. He won four conference titles, five sectional tournament championships and one district championship while coaching at Lamoni High School. Coaching at Watkins Memorial High School in Pataskala, Ohio, Harrop took his teams to four league titles, three sectional tournament championships and two district titles. Rich came to Graceland in 1990 and was selected as the Heart of America Athletic Conference "Coach of the Year" at the end of the 1991-92 season.

Rich's collegiate athletic career started at Graceland in 1961. He earned 13 varsity letters in basketball, football, baseball and track. In track, Harrop threw the javelin for a conference record 192 feet. As a basketball player in college, Rich was a two time 1st Team All-Conference selection, whose name appears throughout the Graceland all-time record list. Rich’s high point game was 41, then a school record, and he graduated with the school’s career scoring record at the time, of 1411 points.

Harrop graduated from Graceland College in 1965 with a degree in physical education and health and a minor in biology. He continued his education at the University of Miami, Ohio with a master’s degree in health and physical education in 1969.

Rich and his wife Judy, a 1966 Graceland graduate, have been married for 39 years. They have two children, Kirk and Krista, who are also Graceland graduates, and five grandchildren.

The Graceland University men’s basketball team increased their home record to 11-2 but more important they defeated Evangel University in round one of the HAAC playoffs, Thursday Feb. 24th in Lamoni.

The Closson Center was packed to the rafters with Jacket faithful and they witnessed a Graceland victory by a score of 65-63. The game was a battle to the end and with 6.5 seconds the Crusaders had the ball on their baseline down by two. Evangel went coast to coast and missed a buzzer beating lay-up that sealed the deal for the Yellowjackets.

HAAC player of the year Matt Lynch led all scorers on the night with 26. Lynch also dished out a game high six assists and made two steals in the game. Wendell Smith hit three big shots from beyond the arc and scored 12 points while Keith VanNatta was the other Jacket in double digits as he had 10 to go along with his six boards and four steals. Dan Easter was the high man on the glass in the game as he pulled down seven rebounds, two of which were on the defensive end in the game’s final minute.

Lynch led the team in scoring but the Jackets used ten players in the game and every one of them had a highlight of the night. The Jackets will need to step their game up another level as they face the number one seed William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo., Saturday night, Feb. 26th at 7:00pm.

The Heart of America Athletic Conference placed Graceland sophomore post Jason Holt on the 2004-05 Honorable Mention All-Conference Team.

Holt, from Polo, Mo., averaged 10.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game this season for the Jackets. Holt was tenth in the conference in offensive rebounds with two per game, eleventh in blocks with .72 per game, and in the top 15 in the conference in field goal percentage (44).

Holt also has 42 assists and 29 steals, and shoots 83 percent from the free throw line for Graceland, who was 14-16 overall in regular season and will host a first round game of the conference tournament against Evangel on Thursday, February 24 at 7:00 p.m.

The Heart of America Athletic Conference has named Graceland’s Matt Lynch as the HAAC Player of the Year for men’s basketball.

Lynch, a five-foot-nine-inch guard from Mt. Ayr, Iowa, led the conference with 21.2 points and 3.90 steals per game. Lynch was fifth in three-point field goals made (2.03 per game), ninth in three-point percentage (59-182) and sixth in assists (3.93 per game).

Lynch was a four-time conference player of the week and was the NAIA player of the week in early February.

Lynch is second in the NAIA in steals per game with 3.90 and ninth in points per game.

Matt Lynch, a senior guard from Graceland, has been selected Heart of America Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week. Lynch has received the honor four times this season, including December 5, January 17, February 7 and February 21.

Lynch clinched a home game in the first round the HAAC Tournament by leading the Yellowjackets to a 79-70 win over Evangel in Lamoni, Iowa. The Salt Lake City, Utah, native scored 29 points, grabbed three rebounds, recorded five assists and tallied three steals in the win over the Crusaders. Lynch scored 22 points and had four steals in Thursday’s loss to Baker, and put in 24 points, four steals and three assists in an 82-63 win over Benedictine.

For the week, Lynch averaged 25.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.7 steals and a 2-1 mark on the week. Lynch was 23-of-45 (51 percent) from the field, 22-of-30 (73 percent) from the free throw line and 7-of-20 (35 percent) from the three point range.

The Graceland men’s basketball team finished the 2004-05 regular season with a 79-70 win over Evangel University on Saturday, and in a tie for third place in the conference with Culver-Stockton College.

Senior Matt Lynch had another stellar shooting night hitting 10 of 15 shots for 29 total points. He also upped the total steals in a career record with his three take-a-ways during the game. Josh Dalsing helped in the scoring column, adding 14 points, and Keith VanNatta had seven assists that led to the Graceland win. Three players had eight or more rebounds, including Tyson Meierotto’s nine and Dan Easter and Jason Holt’s eight apiece.

Graceland was awarded the fourth seed in the HAAC tournament, which posts the Yellowjackets to play Evangel University on Thursday, February 24 at 7:00 p.m. in Lamoni, Iowa.

The Graceland men’s basketball team came up short 70-80 Thursday night against Baker in Baldwin City, Kan., making this Saturday night’s game against Evangel University a must-win for home court advantage in the first round of the conference tournament.

In the first half, the Jackets and Wildcats played a similar game, both shooting around 44 percent from the field and less than 25 percent from the free throw line, but the Jackets were down 33-35 going into the lockers for halftime. In the second half, Baker exploded to a 62 percent shooting spree and the Jackets stayed at just 41 percent, ending the game down by 10.

Senior Matt Lynch scored above his 21.0 points per game average with a 22 point performance against the Wildcats. He also had six rebounds and four steals. Josh Dalsing added 11 points and two blocked shots and Jason Holt scored 10 points in a four-of-five shooting performance.

The Jackets will end the regular season this Saturday against Evangel University from Springfield, Mo. Senior recognition for the Yellowjackets will be held prior to the game, at approximately 7:30 p.m., along with a recognition for retiring head coach Rich Harrop. Tip-off for the men’s game is at 8:00 p.m. in the Closson Center in Lamoni, Iowa.

This weekend Graceland Coach Rich Harrop will be recognized for his 15 years at the helm of the Yellowjacket men’s basketball program.

At 7:30 p.m., prior to the men’s game on Saturday, February 19, Graceland will offer congratulations to the Yellowjacket coach.

All former players, teammates and friends are invited to this official recognition of Harrop’s retirement from coaching at Graceland.

Harrop will coach his final regular season game against the Evangel Crusaders from Springfield, Mo. on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. Following the game there will be a reception to honor Coach Harrop in the multi-purpose room of the Closson Center.

The Graceland men’s basketball team won yet another game in the Closson Center on Monday night with a 82-63 win over Benedictine College. The Jackets are now 8-1 at home in conference play, with one more game this Saturday night against Evangel University.

On Monday night the men took off in the first half with a 11 point lead after the first 20 minutes of play. The men scorched the net in the second half with 64 percent shooting (16-25) from the field to win the game by 21.

Senior Matt Lynch once again led the Jackets in scoring, this game he hit 7-11 from the field and 7-8 from the charity stripe to total 24 points. He also snatched four steals and had three assists. Senior guard Keith VanNatta added 16 points for the Yellowjackets, hitting two threes along the way, grabbing six rebounds and four assists. Freshman Tyler Dow also scored in double-digits with13 points on a 6-7 shooting night.

The Jackets end the regular season this week with Thursday’s games at Baker, then the final game this Saturday at 8:00 p.m. against Evangel University in the Closson Center.

The Graceland men’s basketball team took to the floor Saturday night and upset the number two team in the nation by a score of 92-85. The Cardinals of William Jewell College defeated the Jackets easily 102-65 just a month ago but as teams all over the HAAC are learning, the Closson Center is a tough place to win if you are a visiting team.

The game started with a quick couple of baskets by the Cardinals but the Jackets kept their composure and never let the game get out of hand. As a group the Jackets played a great defensive game in front of a packed house that included the players’ and coaches’ families for Parent’s Night.

By the half time buzzer the Jackets were up by a score of 49-41 but they knew that Jewell would come out strong in the second half. The Jackets led almost the whole second half but Jewell would tie up the game and even take the lead with three minutes left. The two teams would score alternating buckets but the Jackets stepped up their defense, make a few stops and hit key free throws down the stretch to seal the deal. Matt Lynch who has shot 74.0 percent from the free throw line on the year was clutch from the line on the night and in the closing minutes. In total Lynch would go 11-12 from the charity stripe in the game.

Matt Lynch, fresh off national player of the week honors, continued his scoring ways by dropping 31 points on the Cardinals, all while adding to his league lead in steals with five. Three other Jackets also scored in double digits on the night: Keith Van Natta scored 14, Josh Dalsing with 13 and Jason Holt with 10. Tyson Meierotto led the team on the glass as he pulled down seven rebounds all while stealing three balls and scoring eight total points.

The Jackets will be home once again Monday, Feb. 14th as the host the Ravens of Benedictine College at 7:30 p.m. in Lamoni.

The Graceland Yellowjackets shot 47 percent from the field Thursday night in Kansas City, but the Avila Eagles prevailed, shooting 56 percent to take the 82-75 win.

Senior guard Matt Lynch led all scorers with 31 points, followed by sophomore Jason Holt’s 14 and Keith VanNatta’s 11. Tyson Meierotto grabbed nine rebounds and VanNatta had nine assists.

When Lynch snatched his 246th career steal Thursday night, he become Graceland’s all-time steals leader. Lynch, who passed Brett Brown’s 245 career steal mark, has 97 rips this season, added to his three previous years of 66, 73 and 10 steals each season.

Graceland will hold Parent's Day on Saturday, February 12 at 4:00 p.m., when the Jackets play William Jewell College from Liberty, Mo.

When senior guard Matt Lynch snatched his 246th career steal Thursday night, he become Graceland’s all-time steals leader. Lynch, who passed Brett Brown’s 245 career steal mark, has 97 rips this season, added to his three previous years of 66, 73 and 10 steals each season.

In his senior season, Lynch has been awarded NAIA national player of the week one time and Heart of America Athletic Conference three times. Lynch is averaging 20.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 4.1 steals per game. He is shooting 45.6 percent from the field, 71.4 percent from the charity stripe and 31.5 from the three point line.

Matt Lynch of Graceland University (Iowa) has been named the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week ending February 6, 2005.

Lynch, a five-foot-nine-inch senior guard from Salt Lake City, Utah, led Graceland to an upset victory against MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.), defeating the Pioneers 82-76. He recorded 32 points and tied the school’s single-game record for steals with 12. He broke the school’s season record for steals in the game. In an 82-86 loss to Lindenwood University (Mo.), Lynch recorded 32 points, nine rebounds and five assists. He added five steals in the game and is now two steals away from tying Graceland’s career steals record. The Yellowjackets are 11-14 overall.

Matt and the Yellowjackets travel to Kansas City, Mo., to play Avila University on Thursday, February 10, then return to the Closson this weekend to play William Jewell College at 4:00 p.m.

The Heart of America Athletic Conference has recognized Graceland senior Matt Lynch as the Player of the Week for his games on February 3 and 5. Lynch has received the award three of the nine weeks of the season.

Lynch, a five-foot-nine-inch guard, led the Yellowjackets to a 1-1 week by scoring 32 points in each contest and recording 12 steals in an 82-76 win over MidAmerica Nazarene. Against Lindenwood, Lynch grabbed 9 rebounds, tallied 5 assists and totaled 5 steals. For the week the Salt Lake City, Utah native averaged 32 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 8.5 steals. Lynch was 22-of-48 (46%) from the field, 16-of-18 (89%) from the charity stripe, and 4-of-16 (25%) from three point range.

In his efforts this week, Lynch has set a single season steals record at Graceland and needs two more steals to set the career record. He has 94 steals on the season.

Lynch and the Graceland men’s team travel to Kansas City, Mo. to play Avila on Thursday, February 10, then return to the Closson in Lamoni, Iowa, on Saturday for Parents Weekend in a game against William Jewell College at 4:00 p.m.

MidAmerica Nazarene University – 76
Graceland University – 82

The Graceland University Yellowjacket men’s basketball team took on the nationally ranked Pioneers of MidAmerica Nazarene University at home in Lamoni, Iowa Thursday night Feb. 3rd. The Pioneers took a lead early in the game but under the leadership of senior guard Matt Lynch the Jackets battled back and went into the locker room at the half with a four point lead 39-43.

For the second game in a row the Closson Center was packed and the crowd got to witness a great game by the whole Jacket squad and they saw Matt Lynch break the all-time single season record of steals. Lynch had 76 steals on the season and needed just one to break the record. And break the record he did, as he swiped 12 balls from the Pioneers all while scoring 32 points. Lynch now needs seven more steals to break the all-time career record at Graceland that is held by Brett Brown.

Lynch’s running mate at the guard position Keith Van Natta also had a great night offensively as he had 16 points while pulling down nine boards. Jason Holt was the Jackets other double digit scorer with 12. Tyson Meierotto also swiped nine rebounds in the game and Holt matched Van Natta’s nine.

The Jackets improve their record to 11-13 on the season but more importantly improve their conference record to 8-6 which has them tied with Evangel University for third place and one game back of MidAmerica.

The Jackets head to St. Charles, Mo. on Saturday, Feb. 5th to take on the Lions of Lindenwood University. Tip off is at 4:00 p.m.

Graceland 59
Missouri Valley 56

The Graceland University men’s basketball team saw themselves down by 20 points early in the second half of their battle with the Vikings of Missouri Valley College, but head coach Rich Harrop rallied his troops to come back and win the game 59-56 in front of a near capacity crowd at the Closson Center in Lamoni.

The hoop appeared to have a lid on it in the first half as the Jackets shot 28.1 percent from the field and found themselves down by 15 and a score of 35-20 at the half way point of the game. Jason Holt led the way offensively with six points while Matt Lynch and Thomas Harp each had four.

The Jackets came out flat to start the second half but a thunderous dunk, and-one, by Jason Holt, woke up the crowd and the Jacket bench. Holt would hit the free throw and the Jackets were ready to get back into the game. By the five minute mark of the second half the Jackets tied up the game and all in attendance would be on the edge of their seat as the two teams went back and forth. Keith Van Natta would ice the game with two second left as he hit one of his two free throws and give the Jackets their three point lead. The Vikings got off a final shot but the ball would fall short and the Yellowjackets would have their biggest comeback of the season and improve their conference record to 7-6.

Jason Holt was the Jackets impact player of the night as he scored 17 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and blocked two shots. Joining Holt with a double-double of his own was Tyson Meierotto who had 12 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. Matt Lynch was the team’s other double digit scorer as he picked up 11 on the night.

The second half was a team effort that had players picking up their defensive effort while shooting 55.2 percent from the field. The Graceland fans and coaches have to feel good about a conference win that was won in the trenches by a gritty group of young men.

The Jackets next game will be at home versus MidAmerica Nazarene University at 7:30 pm, Feb. 3rd.

The Graceland University Department of Athletics and Admissions invites junior high and high school hoops teams to attend Yellowjacket Day, sponsored by American State Bank, on Saturday, January 29, when Graceland basketball hosts Missouri Valley College from Marshall, Mo. Coaches, players and families are invited to watch the women play at 2:00 p.m., followed by the men’s game at 4:00 p.m.

This event provides teams the opportunity to experience an NAIA college basketball game, meet with coaches and players, talk with an Admissions Counselor and visit campus. Families of all student-athletes are welcome and encouraged to attend, for they are an important factor in making college decisions.

Admission to the game is free and registration will be located in the Closson Center in Lamoni, Iowa, prior to the game. Please RSVP by contacting Admissions online at admissions@graceland.edu or by phone at 866-GRACELAND no later than January 22nd.

The Graceland men’s basketball took Chaminade University to overtime, but couldn’t hang on to win Monday night in Hawaii. The Jackets are now 6-9 with the 82-88 loss to the NCAA Division II Silverswords.

In a game that had nine lead changes and was tied seven times, the Jackets played Chaminade to a 78-78 deadlock after 40 minutes, forcing the game into a five minute overtime. The Silverswords outscored the Jackets 10-4 in the extra period to win the game.

The men were supported by nearly 60 Yellowjacket fans, including families and Graceland students – both former and current.

Redshirt freshman Tyson Mierotto hit five of his seven shots to lead the team in scoring with 17 points. Sophomore Jason Holt grabbed nine rebounds and added 10 points of his own to the tally. Matt Lynch added 16 points, seven assists and four steals, and Keith VanNatta had six assists. Wendell Smith hit two three-pointers and shot 50 percent on his way to scoring 15 points.

The Graceland men next host Avila University on January 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Closson Gymnasium.

The Graceland men’s basketball team lost 49-78 to NCAA Division II Hawaii Pacific University Sunday night in Honolulu.

The men’s team was lead by Sean Maroldo’s nine points and Josh Dalsing’s eight rebounds. The Jackets shot just 28 percent from the field, opposed to the 55 percent shooting of HPU.

Graceland will next play Chaminade University tomorrow, Monday, December 20 in Hawaii.

Graceland’s men’s basketball team added another W to the win column Saturday against Lindenwood University, defeating the Lions 90-71 in the Closson Gymnasium in Lamoni, Iowa.

The Yellowjackets shot 46 percent overall, highlighted by their 44 percent from behind the arc. In Chad Holstrom’s second game back from an ankle injury, he hit 5-9 from three-point land and was 6-10 overall for 17 points in 22 minutes of play. He also had three rebounds, two steals and one assist.

Senior Matt Lunch again led the Jackets in scoring with 25 points, hitting 9-15 from the field and 3-6 threes. Lynch snatched seven steals and had five assists.

Wendell Smith and Dan Easter each scored 10 points in the victory, Jason Holt pulled down eight rebounds and Keith VanNatta had six assists.

The Graceland men next travel to Simpson College to play the Storm on December 16, then will board an airplane for their two-game series in Hawaii against Hawaii Pacific and Chaminade on December 19 and 20.

Graceland senior Matt Lynch scored his 1000th point as a Yellowjacket against Missouri Valley College on Saturday, December 10, 2004.

Lynch hit 19 points in the game to up his point total to 1008 during his four-year career at Graceland. Lynch began the season by hitting Waldorf College for 33 points and drained 35 against Northwestern College.

Lynch, from Salt Lake City, Utah, currently is second in the conference in scoring, with 181 points for a 18.1 per game average.

Matt is the son of Keith Lynch (Tonya) and Debbie Hatton (Larry), all of Utah and is majoring in psychology, history and criminal justice.

Matt Lynch, a senior from Graceland, has been selected Heart of America Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week. Lynch connected on 12-of-28 (.429%) of his shots from the field, including 7-of-18 (.389%) from three-point range and was perfect (8-for-8) from the free throw line in two games to lead Graceland to a 1-1 week. The five-foot-nine-inch guard scored a double-double in a win over Culver-Stockton with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Lynch, from Salt Lake City, Utah, averaged 19.5 points, 6.0 rebound, and 3.0 steals per game this week.

Graceland head coach Rich Harrop led his team into a game that was more like a battle in Lamoni, Iowa Thursday night, where the Jackets pulled out a 75-66 win.

The Jackets came out firing and in the first two minutes of the game it appeared that Graceland was going to coast into career victory number 500 for Harrop.

The defense was intense and the fast break buckets followed by a big dunk-and-one by post Jason Holt had the crowd fired up. Graceland had an early lead but the Wildcats of Culver-Stockton never gave up in a game that was led by the Jackets all of the way.

Graceland went into the locker room at the half up by a score of 32-23 but they had to work for every basket and the Wildcats showed no sign of giving up.

The second half would once again prove to be very exciting as both teams went back and forth in the high paced game. Culver cut the lead to three points late in the game but clutch defense and free throws paced the Jackets to a victory and a final score of 75-66.

At the final buzzer the crowd was notified that Rich Harrop reached the 500th victory of his career and the near capacity crowd erupted as both Harrop and Director of Athletics Dan Hanton were mauled by the entire Graceland basketball team.

The victory improved the Jackets record to 5-4 overall and 2-0 in the HAAC. The men will travel to Marshall, Mo. to take on the Vikings of Missouri Valley College Saturday, December 4 at 4:00 p.m.

On Thursday Dec. 2nd Graceland softball and Molle Chevrolet would like to invite all Graceland faculty, staff, students and families to a Gates Bar-B-Q cookout at the Closson Center starting at 5:30 p.m.

There will be free admission to the basketball games versus Culver-Stockton College and for $4.00 a Gates Bar-B-Q dinner that includes Bar-B-Q on a bun, beans, potato chips and a drink. Come support Graceland basketball in the stands and Graceland softball in your belly.

In his second game in a row, senior Matt Lynch scored 30+ points for the Graceland Yellowjackets, who lost 60-70 to Northwestern College Saturday afternoon in Lamoni, Iowa.

In the absence of Keith VanNatta and the injured Chad Holstrom, Lynch, who scored 33 in the first game of the season, scored 35 points, grabbed four rebounds and had three steals in the game where he was the only senior on the floor. Roman Conner filled a starting spot for the Jackets and scored seven points, added to his five rebounds and five steals.

Graceland’s next games are at the University of Sioux Falls Classic against Sioux Falls on Friday and Dordt College on Saturday.

The Graceland Yellowjackets began the 2004-05 campaign with a 16-point win over Waldorf College on Monday night in Lamoni, Iowa. The Jackets outscored the Warriors 77-61.

Senior Matt Lynch led all scorers with 33 points, added to his 10 rebounds and six steals. Fellow senior, Chad Holstrom scored 18 points, pulled down seven rebounds and had six steals. Newcomer Gregory Harry grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and one block.

Graceland shot 41 percent from the field and 78 percent from the stripe.

The men next host Northwestern College Saturday, November 6 at 4:00 p.m. in the Closson Center.

Both the varsity women’s and men’s basketball teams from Graceland defeated their alumni teams Friday night in the Closson gymnasium.

Ten alumni women suited up for the first game, compared to nearly 25 varsity players. Varsity Coach Laura Pollard played her entire team, and the alumni’s coach Dan Hanton was quick to sub when lethargic play was noticeable in his retired athletes. The alumni women held the varsity to a 12-point lead for most of the game, but ended up losing 63-84.

Men’s regular season varsity coach Rich Harrop, a 1965 Graceland graduate, played for the men’s alumni team, who lost a whopping 63-114 to the Yellowjackets. When Harrop scored his first bucket of the night, the crowd erupted with cheers. Later in the game, Harrop pulled some old-school 15-foot hook shots, but was unable to connect with the bucket. The men’s alumni team consisted of 15 alums, from numerous classes between 1965 and 2003.

The Graceland varsity teams begin the 2004-05 seasons on November 1 in Lamoni. The women will play St. Ambrose University at 5:30 p.m. and the men host Northwestern College at 8:00 p.m. in the Closson Gymnasium.