GRANTHAM, Pa. - In the final seconds of a 67-65 loss for the Messiah men's basketball team, Colin Sareyka finished a layup, becoming the 25th player in program history to score 1,000 career points. It was a back-and-forth battle for the entirety of Saturday's contest with the Falcons holding a slim lead for the majority of the game. The conference-leading Knights hung around and took the lead in the final five minutes to earn the two-point victory.
 
Josh Darville led the Falcons with 15 points while EJ Porter (14) and Colin Sareyka (13) joined him in double-figures. As a team, the Falcons shot 41.3% from the field (26-of-63) and 33.3% from beyond the arc (6-of-18). Darville and Porter led the team with rebounds, both collecting nine of their own. 
 
Messiah falls to 7-9 overall and 3-4 in the conference. They will next take the floor on Jan. 16 when they travel to Lebanon Valley to take on the Dutchmen.
 
Slow Start
Josh Darville recorded the first two points of the contest after driving through the paint and sinking a layup. The Knights responded promptly with a layup of their own just under a minute later. Both teams were held scoreless for nearly four minutes before Josh Darville sank a free throw to make it 3-2 in favor of the Falcons.
 
Fighting for the Lead
In the last 15 minutes of the first half, the Falcons kept the offense going with another layup from Darville and a three from EJ Porter. Messiah utilized this momentum throughout the half, collecting points from Colin Sareyka and Will Young IV to work their way to a 14-9 lead over the Knights with 11:03 to play in the half. Darville continued to be a threat for the Falcons as he crashed the boards to help Messiah maintain possession. 
 
The Knights fought back from Messiah's slight lead with back to back three-pointers to tie the game at 20 points apiece with 7:23 to play in the half. Messiah responded with a three-point play from Darville to take a 25-22 lead. Arcadia fought back quickly and brought the game to a 25-25 tie before draining a deep three to take their first lead of the half. EJ Porter sparked Messiah's offense with a three-pointer of his own to tie the game once more. Moments later, Josh Darville earned two points to give the Falcons a 30-28 lead with 2:25 to play in the first half. Colin Sareyka extended the Falcons' lead with a fast break layup just 23 seconds later, making it 32-28. Josh Darville ended the half with a mid-range jumper to make it 35-30 at the break.
 
Second Half Battle
Out of the break, the Falcons continued their offensive charge with a jumper from Sareyka to give them a seven-point lead. The Knights answered with a three just moments later, but Sareyka quickly drove through the paint, putting in a layup to give Messiah a 39-33 lead. The Knights' offense gained momentum as they whittled down the Falcons' lead over the next two minutes of the contest. Arcadia took their first lead of the half after sinking a deep three, setting the score at 42-41 with 15:09 to play.
 
The Falcons came right back with layups from Kyle Krout, Nate Eberle, and Will Young IV, making it 47-45 in favor of Messiah. Arcadia tied the game at 47-47 but Zach McDonough came through with a three-pointer to give the Falcons the 50-47 lead with 12:21 to play. The lead changed once again just minutes later as the Knights drained another three but EJ Porter earned a three of his own, making it 55-54 with 8:36 remaining in the half. The Falcons controlled the next four minutes of play with a layup from Will Young IV and a three from Kyle Krout. The Knights answered Messiah's offensive pressure with a deep three that would give Arcadia a 64-62 lead. Although Darville sank a free throw with 2:26 to play, the Falcons were unable to regain the lead in the closing stretch of the contest. With a fast break layup in the paint and time expiring, Colin Sareyka recorded his 1,000th career point to end the game.
 
What's Up Next
The Falcons will travel to Lebanon Valley College to take on the Dutchmen at 4:00 p.m. on Jan. 16th.