Box Score
Reading, PA — As Messiah's players sat dejectedly in various locations on the Bollman Center court Saturday afternoon, Messiah head coach
Rick Van Pelt took a deep breath, and made his way to shake hands with the Albright College coaching staff and players.
This one will sting for quite some time.
A driving layup from David Fernandez and a point-blank follow-up from sophomore Chris Yoder both somehow rolled off the rim as the final seconds of Saturday's Commonwealth Conference tilt ticked away, handing Messiah a gut-wrenching, 62-63 loss in the most biting of fashions: Despite having the ball — twice — with a one-point lead in the final 1:23, the Falcons were left to wonder what might have been, as Albright's Zac Shaeffer made two free throws with 23 seconds to play, eventually deciding the outcome.
“This one was a tough one,” Van Pelt said solemnly. “We had some chances in the last minute and a half, on both ends of the court, and we didn't make the most of them. In a game as close as this, you have to.”
Saturday's conclusion was a fitting end to a game which saw neither team lead by more than seven points at any juncture, with the majority of play occurring in a one-possession game. Albright (10-4, 2-1) shot out to an early, 10-4 lead, but Messiah (6-7, 1-2) had things tied 12-12 just moments later.
The teams carried a 28-28 tie into the locker room at halftime before Albright made another run to start the second period as well, making eight of its first 11 shots from the floor to open up a 46-39 advantage.
Van Pelt's club slowly made a shove back, however, forcing misses on the Lions' ensuing four shots — while generating a pair of turnovers — to pull within a 48-47 difference with 9:19 to play.
“We didn't start the second half very well defensively, but our offense bailed us out a bit,” Van Pelt said. “We were able to stay close. We didn't lead very much, but we were right there the entire game.”
Messiah did stay close — within four points over the last five minutes of the game — before the final possessions eventually decided things. A step-back triple from senior Tyler Ritzman pulled the Falcons to a 60-61 deficit with 2:35 remaining, and following a defensive stop, Ritzman canned a 15-foot floater to give Messiah its second lead of the game — 62-61 — with just 1:49 to go.
It was the last minute and a half worth of play that Van Pelt said he will long remember, however.
Messiah forced a miss on Albright's ensuing possession, but gave the ball back to the hosts after a traveling violation was called. Again the Falcons' defense rose to the occasion, but a defensive rebound and outlet pass was stolen away by the Lions' Jeff Sparrow, giving the ball back to the hosts with 39 seconds to go.
It remains uncertain as to whether or not Messiah's defense could have stopped the Lions a third straight time, as freshman Christyan DeVan was whistled for a foul in an effort to get over a screen with 23 seconds to go, putting the Lions' Shaeffer at the free throw line. Albright's best free throw shooter nailed both, setting up one final play for Van Pelt's team.
“We called a timeout after Zac made the first free throw, and we tried to set something up in transition,” Van Pelt said. “When we didn't get what we wanted, we called another timeout to set something up in the half court.”
The second break — coming with just eight seconds to go — was a good one for the visitors. Van Pelt drew up a set that provided not one, but two outstanding looks at the bucket — both coming from mere feet away.
Sadly for the Falcons, both went begging. Fernandez took the inbounds at the free throw line and drove hard to his left, pulling up for a patented shot from just four feet out. The play was well defended by the Lions, but Yoder was unaccounted for: Streaking in from where he inbounded the ball in front of the Messiah bench, Yoder grabbed Fernandez's miss at the pinnacle of his leap and laid the ball up in one motion, kissing it softly off the back iron.
Instead of rattling home, however, Yoder's effort hit the front edge of the rim twice before caroming off the front edge, landing in the hands of the Lions' Kyle Jordan as time expired.
It was too much for all five Messiah players on the court, as they each crumpled to the ground where they stood. Albright had escaped with a league win by hair thin proportions.
“You can look at the last possession and think that's what the game hinged on, but we had so many other opportunities in the last minute or so,” Van Pelt. “We had two defensive stops that were nullified by turnovers, and a couple other defensive rebound situations where we just couldn't secure a loose ball. Of course, that's not even taking into consideration our free throw shooting, which very easily could have made the difference.”
Messiah made just nine of 17 from the foul line (43.8 percent), dropping the team's season average to a less-than-desirable 63.4 percent clip. Aside from that area, statistics were virtually even between the teams.
“I've always believed we can play with every single team in this league,” Van Pelt said. “I'm not sure if this game showed that or not, but I've felt that way all along.”
Junior Jeremiah Runkle led the way for Messiah with a career-high 15 points on a five of seven shooting performance from the floor, securing a team-leading nine rebounds as well. Ritzman scored 14 points on a six of nine shooting effort, while Fernandez tallied 11 points and six boards.
The Falcons must somehow put this defeat behind them and refocus quickly, as arch rival Elizabethtown College is set to visit Brubaker Auditorium Wednesday night at 7 p.m. The Falcons' and Blue Jays' women's teams will play Tuesday evening in Brubaker at 7 p.m. as well.
“Elizabethtown is one of the best teams in the league,” Van Pelt said. “It will be a tough game, like it always is against them, but we've got to prepare and be ready. They're not concerned with our game Saturday, and we can't be, either.”
