MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - On Saturday afternoon, the Messiah men's basketball team made the short trip to Penn State - Harrisburg for a non-conference game against the Lions. Messiah struggled from the field, shooting just 34.4% in the game (21-61) en route to an 80-54 loss. Messiah falls to 4-4 on the season with the setback and will next be in action on Wednesday when they host the Hood Blazers at 6:00 p.m. on Jordan Court in Hitchcock Arena.
 
Colin Sareyka led the Falcons with 20 points while EJ Porter scored a career-high 14. Will Young IV also went for double-digits in the game with 11.
 
How It Happened
The Falcons started the game with a jumper from Colin Sareyka to earn the first two points of the game but the Lions went on an 15-0 run over the next six minutes that would set the tone for the majority of the game. Following the Lions' charge, EJ Porter made an effort to stop momentum with a steal and a dunk for the Falcons but the Lions continued to utilize heavy pressure to hold a convincing lead. Messiah record 15 points in the last five minutes of the first half, cutting the Lions' lead to nine points with the score set at 28-37. Those five minutes were highlighted by a three-pointer from EJ Porter and a block from Zach McDonough that helped the Falcons try to gain some momentum going into the break.

In the second half, the Falcons came out with a jump shot from Colin Sareyka that set the score at 37-30, in favor of the Lions. The seven-point gap was as close as the Falcons would get as the Lions slowly began to gain momentum again. After Matt Glogowski made a layup, the Lions went on a 15-0 run over the next five minutes, finding their selves with a 55-32 lead over the Falcons with 11:57 to play in the second half. Colin Sareyka cut their momentum with a three-point play which was followed up by a layup from EJ Porter. Sareyka tried to keep things going for the Falcons with a shot from behind the arc, making it 57-40 in favor of the Lions but Penn State remained relentless on the attack. In the last 10 minutes of the second half, the Falcons recorded 14 points to try to fight back into the game but the Lions recorded 20 of their own, ending the game 80-54. 

What's Up Next
As mentioned, the Falcons will stay in Grantham, Pa. for their next game with a MAC Commonwealth matchup against the Hood College Blazers on Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m.