ANNVILLE, Pa. – Despite a furious comeback in the final 10 minutes, that saw the Falcons outscore the Dutchmen 30-15, Messiah men's basketball fell just short on the road to the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen by a score of 82-78. The Falcons found themselves behind by as much as 18 points in the contest but charged forward to pull within two down the stretch, but were unable to close the deal falling to 3-5 in the conference. 
 
The Falcons' offense was led by Colin Sareyka (24 points) and EJ Porter (10). Josh Darville grabbed 10 rebounds for Messiah with Sareyka collecting seven of his own.

The Falcons are now 7-10 on the season and 3-5 in the conference.
 
In the First Half
The Dutchmen struck first with a quick 4-0 run and maintained heavy pressure throughout the half. Despite the fast-paced offense from LVC, Messiah was able to work their way to a 12-9 lead, highlighted by a three-pointer from Matt Glogowski. Zach McDonough made it 16-14 with a layup but LVC regained the lead just moments later. EJ Porter answered back with a three-pointer to take a 19-18 lead, the last advantage the Falcons would hold for the remainder of the game. The Dutchmen pulled away in the last ten minutes of the half, outscoring the Falcons 25-17 to end the half 47-36.  
 
Second-Half Action
The Dutchmen came out of the break strong, utilizing heavy offensive pressure to work their way to a 17-point lead over the course of the first eight minutes of the second half. Moments after Colin Sareyka stole the ball and finished with a layup, LVC drained a three-pointer to take an 18-point lead, their highest of the night. 
 
Closing the Gap
With 10:34 to play in regulation, Zach McDonough made a free throw that would spark the Falcons' 30-15 run that would pull the Falcons within striking distance in the final moments. The run was fueled by points from seven different Falcons, including 10 from Sareyka and two three-pointers from Caleb Light. Messiah forced six Dutchmen turnovers during the final 10 minutes of the contest, while committing just two turnovers as a team. Following two free throws from Sareyka, the Falcons were within two points but the Dutchmen prevailed due to a pair of late free throws from Zach Tucker, who scored 24 points for the Dutchmen.
 
What's Up Next
The Falcons will return to Jordan Court in Hitchcock Arena on Jan. 19 at 4:00 p.m. to take on Widener University.