Box Score GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Arcadia University men's basketball team dropped a 78-70 Commonwealth Conference contest at Messiah College Saturday evening, dropping its record to 6-9 overall and 1-7 in conference play. The first-place Falcons improved to 13-1 overall and 7-1 in league play with the win.
 
It was a tight game the entire way, with the lead changing hands several times in the first half and the Knights held a 29-28 lead after junior center Jose Figueroa (Philadelphia, Pa.) drained two free throws with 4:54 left in the opening frame. That proved to be Arcadia's last lead of the game as Messiah immediately went on an 11-point run to open a 39-29 advantage with three minutes to go in the period.
 
Sophomore guard Scott Bolen (Ashton, Md.) started that run with a three and junior guard Zac Hoy (Mifflinburg, Pa.) capped it off as he laid the ball in after stealing the ball from Arcadia junior guard Torrell Candelaria (Philadelphia, Pa.).
 
The Knights scored the final five points of the period on a three from junior forward Joe Brown (Philadelphia, Pa.) with 1:52 left in the first half and a pair of made free throws from freshman guard Justin Trojanowski (Reading, Pa.) with 1:03 on the clock, making it a 39-34 game at the break.
 
It was a one-point game after Brown's layup made it 47-46 in favor of Messiah seven minutes into the second half, but that was as close as the game would be the rest of the way.
 
The Falcons used a 10-point surge to take a 66-52 lead after Bolen's layup with just under seven minutes to go in the game. The Knights responded with a 10-2 run to get back within six after Candelaria's three cut Messiah's lead to 68-62 with 3:44 to go, but the Falcons weathered the storm and closed out the win at the line in the closing minute.
 
Senior guard Brad Bolen (Ashton, Md.) scored a game-high 25 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the field with a 12-for-12 performance at the free throw line to lead Messiah. He also pulled down five rebounds and dished out eight assists. Junior guard David Fernandez (Miami, Fla.) netted 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and a 6-for-7 showing at the line.
 
Brown finished with 24 points and seven rebounds to lead the Knights, going 9-for-19 from the field with three makes from downtown. Candelaria finished with 11 points and seven boards, while sophomore forward Alex Cohen (Ridgewood, N.J.) tallied 10 points and five boards.
 
Arcadia will look to get back in the win column Wednesday when it hosts an 8 p.m. Commonwealth Conference contest against Alvernia University at Alumni Gymnasium.