Messiah v. Wheaton Box Score - Messiah v. Centenary Box Score
Phoenix, AZ — Two inches of rain and 70-year low temperatures did little to detract from Messiah's holiday venture to the desert this week, as the Falcons split a pair of decisions at the Tripp Sports Grand Canyon Classic held on the campus of Southwestern College.
Messiah (6-4) dropped a 53-65 decision to Wheaton College (IL) Thursday but responded with an 83-53 thumping of Centenary College less than 48 hours later, making the trip to the southwest more than worthwhile.
“It was crazy getting out here, but it all worked out,” said Messiah head coach Rick Van Pelt. “The best part about trips like these is the opportunity to grow closer as a team. I think we certainly were able to do that, and we were able to play two games on top of it.”
Messiah's travel plans were nearly ruined Sunday, when a blizzard shut down airports and canceled flights up and down the east coast. The Falcons were on one of the last flights to make it out of Baltimore Washington International Airport, but Centenary wasn't as lucky: Originally scheduled to play Messiah on Wednesday, the Cyclones got stranded at the airport, failing to arrive to Phoenix until Thursday.
That snafu prompted a change in schedule, pitting Messiah against Wheaton (8-2) in its new opener Thursday, and postponing its tilt with Centenary until Friday.
“It would have been nice to have played a game before Wheaton, but it was out of everyone's control,” Van Pelt said.
Despite not having played since Dec. 11, Van Pelt's club showed grit and moxie against a talented Wheaton squad, coming back from a 20-8 deficit with just seven minutes remaining in the first half. A stellar defensive effort held the Thunder scoreless over the half's final 6:53, while six points from freshman Brad Bolen helped complete a 12-0 run before the intermission, tying the game at 20-20.
“Wheaton is a good team,” Van Pelt said. “We got off to a rough start but our defense kept us in the game. I thought we battled hard defensively, but offensively we just couldn't get much going throughout the game.”
That ineptitude in scoring the basketball made things especially tough at the outset of the second period, as Wheaton's Andrew Jahns scored nine consecutive points to open the stanza — eventually helping the Thunder to a 32-20 advantage just three and a half minutes in. A layup from junior Jeremiah Runkle pulled Messiah to a 24-32 deficit two minutes later, but another Wheaton push — this one a 16-5 spurt — made it a 48-29 contest with 7:20 remaining. Messiah was unable to get closer than 10 points the remainder of the way, as the Thunder buried an incredible 20 of 26 second-half free throws (76.9 percent), making 27 of 37 for the game (73 percent).
“We weren't able to come back from their early run in the second half like we were able in the first,” Van Pelt said. “We kept fighting after that, but our turnovers (24 for the game) hurt us. I thought we did a good job on their (pre-season) All-American (Tim McCrary; 11 points, 14 rebounds) but they are talented around him as well.”
Messiah was led by Runkle and freshman Christyan DeVan's 10 points apiece, while sophomore Chris Yoder chipped in nine and Bolen eight. For the first time in their respective careers, freshman and leading scorer David Fernandez was held scoreless while senior and leading rebounder Andy Hawk failed to snag a board.
There was no such trouble against Centenary (3-7) however, as a methodical push in the first half led to a 31-22 lead at the break. Messiah then used a torrid, 19 of 31 effort (61.3 percent) from the field in the second half to cruise to the 30-point win, leading by as many as 36 points in the game's final seven minutes.
“We shot the ball pretty well against Centenary,” Van Pelt said. “They played zone (defense) and we were able to run our offense. We also got a lot of stuff in transition. I thought Josh Hartman played really well, and we kind of followed suit as a team. I also thought it was incredible that we scored 83 points and had only one player in double-figures. We were able to play a lot of people, and everyone who did play, played well.”
Hartman was the Falcons' only double-digit point scorer, notching 11 markers on a four of six effort from the field — including a three for five performance from downtown. That clip helped Messiah to a season-best 13 of 24 performance as a team from three-point land (54.2 percent), while yet another bout of stifling defense limited the Cyclones to just a 16 of 58 performance from the field overall (27.6 percent).
Hartman was named to the all-tournament team as a result of his play. Fernandez, junior Tyler Ritzman and sophomore Derek Mosley all scored nine in the win.
And while the weather may not have been the best — Phoenix averages just over seven inches of rain per year, and two inches fell during the team's time in the city — the team had no problems enjoying themselves. In addition to attending a Phoenix Suns game, Messiah hiked Camelback Mountain and competed in its annual intra-squad bowling tournament, an event claimed by the junior class. The club also was treated to dinner by 2006 alum Quinn McCullough and his wife, Callie, while assistant coaches Scott Barton and Will Cabrera attended the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl with McCullough.
“You can't put trips like these into words,” Van Pelt said. “Each is special and unique for its own reasons. We're pleased to get in two good games in preparation for the second semester, but the chance to be together as a team for an extended time is what's really important.”
Messiah will not have much time to relax following its return from the southwest, as the team will compete in the Johns Hopkins University Blue Jay Invitational just a day after its return. The Falcons will take on Stockton College at 4 p.m. Monday. The club will then face either the host Blue Jays or Keene State College at a time to be determined Tuesday.
