Grantham, PA - The Falcons shot just 34.5% from the field (19-55) en route to a 74-55 loss to the Stevenson Mustangs to open the MAC Commonwealth Season. Stevenson's Erik Fisher led all scorers in the contest with 22 points.
 
Geoff Boyle collected his fifth double-double this season with 12 points and 10 rebounds in a losing effort.
 
The Mustangs started off hot and took a quick 7-0 lead behind a three and a pair of layups. Messiah countered with a 5-0 run of their own with a three by Josh Clippinger and a layup by Micah Brown. The quick run by the Falcons was short lived as the Mustangs used an 11-0 run to take a 13-point lead.
 
The Falcons had to fight an uphill battle through the majority of the evening to erase the large Stevenson lead. Messiah eventually clawed back to make it a six-point game at 22-16 with 9:51 remaining in the first-half, but that's as close at the Falcons would make it. The Mustangs went on a 13-2 run over the next five minutes to extend their lead to 35-18.
 
Stevenson would hold their largest lead of the half, a 19-point edge, with 1:18 remaining in the half at 41-22.
 
In the second-half the Mustangs held a double-digit lead for the entirety of the period. The Falcons cut it to as few as 14 points 2:26 into the half at 46-32, but another quick 9-2 run extended the Mustang lead to 21. The Mustangs would hold a 20-plus point lead for the majority of the remaining eight and a half minutes eventually winning by a 19-point margin, 74-55.
 
Messiah's 34.5 field goal percentage, 11.8 three-point field goal percentage, and 60.0% free throw percentage were each their worst marks in a single game this season.
 
The loss moves the Falcons to 0-1 in the MAC Commonwealth and 3-3 overall, while the Mustangs advance to 2-4 overall and 1-0 in the conference.
 
Messiah will next take the floor on Saturday when they travel to Glenside to take on the Arcadia Knights at 3:00 p.m.