READING, Pa. - Down by three points to Albright College in triple overtime, Colin Sareyka took the ball off the inbounds and as the Lions tried to foul him, banked in an and-one three pointer to tie the game at 100 apiece. Sareyka would nail the resulting free throw to take the lead and Messiah men's basketball held on for the incredible 101-100 victory over the Lions on a wild Saturday afternoon.
 
Sareyka would finish the game with a career-high 31 points to go with six assists and seven steals. Matt Hess also had a career-high with 19 points, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, while Nate Eberle returned after missing Wednesday's game to score 15 off the bench and pull down seven boards. Despite fouling out in the first overtime, Josh Darville once again grabbed 10 rebounds while notching a career-high 14 points for his third double-double of the season. As a team, Messiah made 12 of 27 three-pointers (44.4%), with none bigger than Sareyka's in the final seconds.
 
Albright had three players record double-doubles, led by DeJuan Smith's game-high 32 points and 10 rebounds and followed by Fred Rowles (21p, 11r) and Jared Rappoport (15p, 11r).
 
The 101 points are the most scored in a game by a Falcon team since Dec. 8, 2006, when Messiah routed visiting Penn College 104-35. Sareyka's 31 points was also the highest output by a Messiah player since Brad Bolen '14 poured in 32 on Feb. 1, 2014, coincidentally also against Albright. Also of note, Messiah had not played in a triple overtime game since Dec. 8, 2001, when they fell, incredibly, to none other than Albright College by a score of 99-95.
 
The Falcons improve to 9-6 on the season and 4-3 in the MAC Commonwealth, while Albright falls to 11-4 overall and 4-3 in the conference.
 
Lions On the Prowl
After Messiah took a quick 4-2 lead, Albright went on a 13-0 run that gave the Lions a 15-4 lead at the 14:27 mark of the first-half. The Lions came out of the gate very hot, shooting 75% from the field over that stretch, including nine points from senior DeJuan Smith.
 
Falcons Claw Back
Messiah was not about to let the game get away from them early in the first half, responding with a 10-1 run, capped by a Colin Sareyka triple, to cut the deficit to 16-14 with just over ten minutes left in the opening period. The pace was much more even over the next five minutes, with Albright building a seven-point lead, 31-24, with just under five minutes left before the halftime buzzer.
 
Momentum Built
The last five minutes of the opening period belonged to the Falcons, as they ended the half on a 15-6 run, starting with a big triple from the left side by Nate Eberle. On Messiah's next possession, Matt Hess missed a runner from the right side but got his own rebound before spinning and banking in a beautiful layup with a foul. Hess would make the resulting free throw, and Neil Murren then poured in a deep three to cut the Lion advantage to just two.
 
At the 1:16 mark, Sareyka tied the game with one of his trademark spinning and scooping layups around multiple defenders. On the other end of the court, DeJuan Smith dribbled the ball off his foot and it kicked straight to Hess, who wasted no time in sprinting to the other end for the easy layup and Falcon lead. Smith would tie it back up with a layup of his own, but another sweet take to the basket from Sareyka gave Messiah a 39-37 lead at the half.
 
Momentum Carried
The Falcons would continue their run in the second-half, as Darville made back-to-back buckets and Hess and Eberle drained big threes to give Messiah an eight-point lead, 51-43, with 13:03 to go in regulation.
 
After missing last Wednesday's game due to an illness, Eberle really came up big in the second-half with Darville in foul trouble. After nailing that triple, he scored six of the Falcons' next eight points, including two beautiful drives to the basket that he finished with his non-dominant right hand. However, the Lions would not go away, as they cut the Falcon lead to just one on a DeJuan Smith layup with 6:25 to play in the second-half.
 
Oplinger Stars for Albright
Messiah managed to push their lead back to six, 69-63, on a huge three to beat the shot clock from Kyle Krout and another Nate Eberle layup with 2:36 left. However, Albright's Garrett Oplinger nailed his third triple of the game on the Lions' ensuing possession to cut the lead in half, and after Darville and Fred Rowles traded layups, he hit another three with a hand in his face to tie the game at 71 with just 29 seconds to play.
 
Before this afternoon's game, the junior had only made five three-pointers all season. The Falcons got a chance to win the game in regulation, but turned the ball over without a shot as the buzzer sounded.
 
Free Basketball
Albright used the momentum from their comeback in regulation to jump out to a quick five-point lead in the first overtime on a three from Smith and layup from Oplinger. Their lead would still be five with 2:18 left in the period, before Darville made a free throw and Matt Hess nailed a huge three from the corner to cut the deficit to one with 1:40 to play.
 
After Darville's fifth foul and a made free throw from Rowles, Sareyka came back and tied the game at 80 on a driving layup with a minute remaining in the first extra period. After a pair of turnovers by each team, it was Albright's turn to attempt a game-winner at the buzzer, but Samuel Majekodunmi's jumper was off-line and the Falcons and Lions headed to a second overtime.
 
More Free Basketball
The teams traded baskets to start the second extra period, as Sareyka made two layups while Jared Rappoport made a layup and a free throw and DeLascio Dancy made a layup in transition to give Albright an 85-84 lead with 2:12 to play.
 
A jumper from Smith put the Lions up by three with 44 seconds left, but Messiah freshman Matt Glogowski stepped up huge with a contested three from the left side to tie the game at 87. On Albright's ensuing possession, Smith missed a jumper, but Rowles skied for the rebound and was fouled by Glogowski on the put-back attempt with nine seconds to play.
 
Rowles calmly stepped up to the line and drained both opportunities, giving the Lions a two-point advantage. Sareyka got the ball off the inbounds and raced down the court, driving down the lane before losing the ball, but Messiah received a lucky bounce as it fell to Hess in the corner. Hess drove baseline, and Rowles was called for a blocking foul, sending Hess to the line with just two seconds left. The senior, a 79% free throw shooter on the season, had stepped up under immense pressure and got both attempts to go, once again tying the game at 89.
 
The Lions were unable to get a shot off in the final seconds, and Messiah and Albright went to a third extra period.
 
More (!) Free Basketball
The third overtime began much like the first, as Albright scored four straight points in the first minute. With 3:29 left, Sareyka came up with a big steal on the defensive end, and with a 3-on-2 fast break, found Neil Murren spotting up in the corner for a huge three to cut the deficit to one. However, three straight made baskets from Albright spurred a 6-2 run that put the Lions on top 99-94 with 86 seconds to play.
 
Colin. Sareyka.
With the Falcons seemingly facing a heartbreaking defeat, Sareyka would not quit. The sophomore guard had ice in his veins, as he brought the ball up on the ensuing possession and froze his defender with a crossover before launching a triple from well beyond the arc and draining it right down the back of the net to cut the Albright lead to two.
 
With Albright ahead 99-97 and the shot clock turned off, Messiah had to foul, and it was Glogowski who found himself in the unfortunate situation of being nearest to the ball, and used his fifth foul to send Rowles to the line. Rowles would make just one of two from the line, though, leaving the door open by a crack for the Falcons as they trailed by three with 23 seconds left.
 
Messiah decided to take the clock down before attempting a game-tying shot, and the Falcons called timeout with six seconds left. Inbounding just in front of his own bench, Hess just barely got the ball in to Sareyka in front of the scorers table before the five seconds were up. Sareyka took two dribbles to his right down the sideline before feeling contact from Smith and smartly going straight up for the three-point attempt. As the whistle blew for the foul, Sareyka faded far to his right and watched as the ball banked in off the corner of the backboard for the incredible four-point-play opportunity.
 
The Messiah faithful and bench exploded out of their seats as Sareyka was mobbed by teammates. It was not over yet, though, as the amazing shot only tied the game with four seconds left and Sareyka, a 65% free throw shooter, had to head to the line with the game entirely in his hands. Just 1-of-3 from the line in the game before the shot, the sophomore took a couple of deep breaths, took three dribbles, and spun the ball in his hands before calmly draining the foul shot and giving Messiah the 101-100 lead.
 
Albright got a good look in the final seconds, as Majekodunmi got space from beyond the arc on the right side, but his attempt as time expired bounced off the back of the rim and Messiah was free to celebrate the instant classic.
 
Next Up
Messiah continues conference play with another tough opponent next Wednesday, Jan. 17, as they host MAC Commonwealth leading scorer Sam Light and the Lebanon Valley College Dutchmen at 6:00 p.m.