Annville, PA - Messiah College junior forward
Derek Mosley was named Commonwealth Player of the Week for men's basketball on Monday, recognition for his outstanding performance on the hardwood for the Falcons last week. Mosley led Messiah to a record of 2-0, with wins coming over Lycoming and Arcadia.
On Wednesday against Lycoming-- at the time the second-ranked team in the Commonwealth, Mosley scored a team-high 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to
help the Falcons to a thrilling 59-57 win in overtime. He hit 4-11 shots from three-point range in the process, playing 40 of a possible 45 minutes. The win kept Messiah in first place in the conference.
On Saturday, Mosley was even better. He scored a career-high 28 points on 9-10 shooting, including an ultra-impressive 7-8 performance from downtown. Mosley also grabbed seven rebounds over his 34 minutes of play as
the Falcons edged Arcadia University 62-61 on the road.
Over the two games, Mosley averaged 22.0 points and 9.5 rebounds on 58% shooting (60% shooting from three-point range).
"Derek's shooting has been exceptional," said Messiah head coach
Rick Van Pelt. "That's the first thing people see, but he has been doing a number of other things to help our team be successful. He's been going to work on the boards, and overall has been playing a well-rounded game."
Mosley is currently second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.5 points per game. Sophomore teammates
David Fernandez (16.0) and
Brad Bolen (10.4) are also averaging double-figures for the Falcons. The team is 16-6 on the season, holding first place in the Commonwealth with a record of 10-2.
"We're coming off a big week," said Van Pelt, reflecting on Mosley and the rest of the Messiah squad. "We earned a big win in overtime, and then a big win on the road. Right now, we're just focused on finding ways to get better."
The Falcons return to action on Tuesday, February 14, when they travel to Alvernia University for a 6:00 p.m. tip-off. The game will include
Alvernia's "Hat Off For Cancer" promotion, and all fans attending are encouraged to participate.
The team returns home on Saturday, February 18, for the regular-season finale against Elizabethtown at 4:00 p.m.
Mosley is also included on this week's Messiah Athletics poll for the top Falcon performance from this weekend! Cast your vote on the home page of GoMessiah.com. The Fan Poll is located next to the "More Headlines" tab!
