The Kuyper College Men's Basketball team lost to Grace Christian University by a score of 83-76 on Tuesday night. The Cross Cup trophy was on the line, and the Tigers were able to defend their trophy that they won last season as well. This game always has a lot on the line, as Coach Bailey coached 18 years at Grace Christian and won 7 NCCAA II National Championships. Additionally, Kuyper and Grace Christian are cross-town rivals, so the game is always one of great magnitude. 

The game was a close game throughout. Grace Christian jumped out to an early lead behind some hot three-point shooting, but Kuyper was able to go on a run of their own. The Tigers carried a 35-34 lead into the halftime break. In the second half, Grace Christian extended their lead again, but Kuyper countered with another run of their own. Kuyper took the lead with about 5 minutes to go, but they were unable to make the plays necessary down the stretch to win the game. 

Danyel Bibbs led the way for the Cougars with 21 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists. Sam Dillard neared a double-double with 17 points and 9 rebounds. Herman Brown added 12 points and 6 rebounds for the Cougars. Jacob May also neared a double-double with 9 points and 8 rebounds. 

Kuyper shot 45.5% from the field as a team and 31.3% from three. Free throws were an issue for the Cougars, as they shot just 11-21 (52.4%). In a close game, those free throw struggles proved to be a big difference in the game.

Grace Christian hit a handful of big shots down the stretch, and their 13 made threes was another key in this game.

Kuyper moves to 1-5 on the year and 0-1 in the NCCAA II. The Cougars have two big NCCAA II matchups this weekend, as they travel to Faith Baptist Bible College for the Faith Classic. Kuyper will play Faith Baptist Bible College on Friday evening, and then they take on Manhattan Christian College on Saturday afternoon.