Messiah Holds off Arcadia Down the Stretch

Box Score GRANTHAM, Pa.: A three-point play from Malcon Still put Arcadia University in front by one, with five minutes to play but the presence of host Messiah College on both the offensive and defensive glass proved to be the difference as the Falcons out-scored the Knights 16-5 in the remaining minutes to win tonight's Commonwealth Conference men's basketball game 67-58.

Arcadia (9-8, 2-4 CC) drops it's fourth straight league contest with one more to go at home against Albright College (11-6, 1-5 CC) this Wed., Jan. 28 to close the first half of league play. Tonight was the seventh straight win for the Falcons who improve to 11-5 overall and 5-1 within the Commonwealth.

Seven lead changes highlighted a closely matched first half of play that ended 36-34 in Arcadia's favor. The Knights largest lead of the opening half was four when Malcom Still hit two free throws at 10:39. Messiah matched that lead by two, leading by 6 with 5:09 to go before the half when Derek Mosley drained a three pointer. Arcadia got 15 points from their bench, 9 coming from Still in the opening half. The Knights also shot 62.2% from the floor, going 15 of 23 on numerous long range two-pointers while the Falcons connected on just 48.3% from the floor in the opening twenty.

Arcadia matched their largest lead of the game to open the second stanza on two in the paint from Travis Saltus, but the Falcons would go to Trey Ritzman who hit for two, drained a three and added a free throw in succession to knot the game at 40-all with 14:11 to play. A three bomb from Arcadia's Jason Thompson, the Knights only good shot from downtown in the game, came at 13:49 to put the visitors back on top 43-40. Arcadia was never able to take more than a four-point advantage and as they did before Messiah used another triple, this one from Brad Bolen at the eleven minute mark and went inside for their next four buckets, swinging momentum and the scoreboard in their favor, 52-47 with 7:09 to go.

By the 5:53 mark, Aaron Lee-Webb made good on a three-point play in the paint to keep the Knights just two away from Messiah's 52-50 lead when Still converted on his three point play in the paint at 5:03, putting Arcadia back in front by one, 53-52. Arcadia would send Messiah's David Fernandez to the line, where he would hit two, giving the lead back to his Falcons with 54-53 with 4:40 to play. Messiah would then use a 16-5 spurt to stay in front of the Knights who went 1 of 4 in the closing minutes.

Arcadia out-shot Messiah 48.9% to 43.4% from the floor and 68.8% to 66.7% at the line. Messiah won the three-point battle, going 5 for 17 to Arcadia's 1 for 7 performance while rebounds tilted in favor of the Falcons 31-30.

Still and Saltus led Arcadia with 12 points apeice. Saltus added 4 rebounds and 4 assists to his point total. Khalief Trawick added 9 points for the Knights.

Messiah's Fernandez finished with 16 to lead all scorer's and added 6 rebounds, 4 assists and blocked 2 shots. Jeremiah Runkle scored 15 points and brought down 8 rebounds to help lead the Falcons.

Arcadia looks to regain winning form when they host the Lions of Albright on Jan. 28 with an 8 p.m. tip-off.

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