Grinnell College basketball player Griffin Lentsch set a new NCAA divisdion three record by scoring 89 points in the Pioneers’ 145-97 win at Principia College on Saturday. Lentsch was 27 of 55 from the field, including 15 of 33 from three point range, and also connected on 20 of 22 free throws.
Lentsch says his teammates were getting him wide open looks at the basket with screens and he says he got to the free throw line more then normal, which allowed him to get in a shooting rhythm.
Lentsch says Principia tried a variety of defenses to keep the ball out of his hands, including a box-and-one, a zone, but none of them worked. Lentsch credits the record to the fast paced tempo that Grinnell uses, he says he doesn’t think you could score as many points in any other system.
Lentsch says he knew he was putting up big numbers as the game progressed. He had around 40 points at halftime and that was more than he had scored in a game. Lentsch says he tried to keep the point total out of his mind and kept trying to take as many good shots as he could once he got open.
By Chris Varney, KGRN, Grinnell