Monessen grad Justice Rice helps Grove City basketball reach top of PAC

As all teams do, the Grove City men set goals at the beginning of the basketball season. Among them was, of course, to win the Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship.

But no team with conference-title aspirations figures on starting 0-4. Granted, those were nonconference games, but Wolverines coach Steve Lamie, in his 21st season, knew something needed to change quickly.

For starters, he told his players they no longer would talk about winning but rather focus on playing to their standard and let the results take care of themselves.

“I think we were putting too much pressure on ourselves,” Lamie said. “The expectations that we had on ourselves were causing us not to play well.”

Secondly — and, perhaps, most importantly — the Wolverines started to get more inspired play from their starting guard tandem of senior Nate Peters and junior Justice Rice, a Monessen grad. Both are averaging more than 13 points, and they helped boost the Wolverines (17-8, 13-3 PAC) to their first PAC regular-season title since 2010.

Grove City will be the top seed and have homecourt advantage in the PAC Tournament. GCC faces No. 8 seed Thiel at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the quarterfinals

During the title-clinching win over Thiel on Feb. 15, Rice had 12 points, the final two on a pair of free throws with 1 second left to ensure a 60-57 victory. That also was the Wolverines’ 12th straight win, a streak that included Lamie’s 300th career victory.

“Once everybody understood their role, we were able to finally start putting things together,” Rice said.

“And Nate did a terrific job of being the senior leader.”

Rice has done his share, too. He has scored in double figures in all but six games, and his 13.1 scoring average is nearly three points higher than last season. He also is shooting 50.6% from the field and leads the team with 75 assists.

Lamie attributes Rice’s improvement to the natural maturity that comes with experience ands a newfound ability to score in the post.

That is something the coach encouraged his guards to do more.

“They had the perimeter games … now they are able to score inside within our offense,” Lamie said. “And they both have point-guard mindsets. It’s like having your best ballhandler 3 feet from the basket as guys cut or rotate into open spots.”

Added Rice: “Being able to score from the post or pass from the post really has evolved my game. I am able to score from all three levels on offense.”

A change in defensive philosophy also has been key. Early in their careers, Lamie said, Rice and Peters played “defensive defense,” but now, they are looking to turn defense into offense, harassing opposing ballhandlers and turning takeaways into easy baskets.

Peters (50) and Rice (36) have combined for 86 steals — nearly half the team’s total.

Lamie said the way his guards have played is emblematic of the unselfish attitude that has permeated the team.

That is the way the Wolverines must continue to play, he said, if they are to double down by adding a PAC Tournament title — and the NCAA Division III Tournament berth that goes with it.

“There are a million ways to play basketball, but we know there is one pathway for us,” Lamie said. “Anything else is going to be a failure. So if we adhere to that, we have a shot.”

Rice echoed his coach’s sentiments, knowing Grove City will be in every opponent’s crosshairs.

“Nobody is going to lay down for us,” he said. “As long as we control what we can control and play hard and play for each other, everything will fall in line.”