Box Score
Reading, PA — Wednesday night against Commonwealth Conference rival Elizabethtown College, the basket appeared as large as a hoola hoop for Messiah, as the team canned 15 of 22 first-half shots (68.2 percent) en route to
a 68-66 win.
Saturday at Alvernia University, the bucket was apparently more like a thimble.
Messiah made just six of 27 first-period attempts (22.2 percent) before trailing by a 31-15 count at the intermission, failing to get any closer than 11 points in the second period in a 56-72 loss against the Crusaders.
Alvernia — which entered the afternoon sporting a conference-leading 9.2 point margin of victory against league opponents — kept its unblemished C'Wealth record in tact, knocking in nearly half of its shots from the floor in handing the Falcons their worst conference loss of the season to date.
“The shots that we made Wednesday, we didn't make tonight,” said Rick Van Pelt, Messiah head coach. “Credit Alvernia and their defense. They made things difficult. We shot terribly to start the game, and while I thought we played well enough defensively in the first half, we didn't execute nearly well enough on the offensive end to keep things close.”
Messiah (7-8, 2-3) limited the Crusaders to just a 10 of 24 first-half shooting performance (41.7 percent), but the Falcons' zero for seven effort from the three-point line — coupled with 11 first-half turnovers — put too much onus on the team's capacity to slow down the hosts.
Things were bad immediately from the start of action in the Physical Education Center, as Van Pelt's club put up four misses and two turnovers in its first six possessions, helping Alvernia (10-3, 5-0) roar out to a 9-0 lead three and a half minutes in. A layup from sophomore Derek Mosley capped an ensuing 6-0 run from the Falcons, but a jumper from the Crusaders' Brian Nerney sparked a 9-1 run from the hosts — making it an 18-7 game midway through the opening stanza.
Messiah pulled within six points — 21-15 with 3:15 to go in the first — but another Alvernia spurt more than doubled the lead at halftime, as the Falcons closed the period with three turnovers and two misses.
“I thought we strung together enough stops (in the first half) to give ourselves a chance,” Van Pelt said. “We just couldn't make shots, and turnovers continued to plague us.”
And while Messiah would go on to hit 17 of 42 second-half shots (40.5 percent), it didn't happen until it was too late: Misses on six of the Falcons' first seven shots in the second half helped push the Alvernia lead to 39-17 with just three and a half minutes gone.
Van Pelt's club pulled to within 11 points on two different occasions, but another big run from the Crusaders quelled any thoughts of a comeback. After junior Trey Ritzman canned a driving layup with 11:27 to play, Van Pelt called a timeout, his team trailing by just a 44-33 difference.
Alvernia scored the game's next nine points, however, and a 20-point lead was restored. The Falcons would get no closer than 14 points over the game's final eight minutes of play, trailing by as many as 21.
Sophomore Chris Yoder and freshman Brad Bolen each scored 13 points to lead Messiah's offense, with Bolen getting all of his points in the second half. Junior Jeremiah Runkle pulled down a game-high 11 boards in just 19 minutes of action. Freshman Christyan DeVan equaled his career high in assists for the fourth time this season, dishing out four helpers.
“Alvernia is a very good team,” Van Pelt said. “For us to come in here and have a chance to get them, we've got to score the basketball better. It's pretty simple.”
Messiah will look to get back in the top half of the league standings Wednesday, when the team will host Lebanon Valley College. The Dutchmen — sporting just a 1-4 league record — have been competitive in each of their losses, most notably their latest: Despite leading Widener University by 16 points in the second half — and five points with nine seconds remaining — Lebanon Valley dropped a 61-60 decision after the Pride's BJ Smith hit a three-quarter court shot at the buzzer Saturday.
“LVC is tough,” Van Pelt said. “They're a tough style to play against. They're coming off a heart-breaking loss at Widener, one of the most bizarre finishes you'll see in a college basketball game. They've been in every single league game that they've played in. It will be a battle, that is for sure.”
Wednesday's game time is set for 8 p.m. in Brubaker Auditorium.
