GRANTHAM, Pa. - EJ Porter shot a perfect 6-6 from the field, including a 5-5 effort from beyond the arc to help Messiah to a 77-60 victory over the Alvernia Golden Wolves on Saturday afternoon in Hitchcock Arena. Porter set a new career-high while scoring a team-high 19 points in the victory. Messiah got off to a quick start, building a 12-3 lead in the game's first five minutes before holding a 40-30 lead at the break.

Messiah increased their advantage throughout the second-half, eventually winning by the 17-point margin.

Porter's 19 points led four double-digit scorers on the afternoon with Colin Sareyka (13 points), Matt Glogowski (13), and Josh Darville (12) joining him with 10-plus in the game. Darville also ripped down a game-high 15 rebounds for his third double-double of the season and his second in the last three games.

Messiah will next take the floor on Wednesday when they host Stevenson at 8:00 p.m. on Jordan Court.

Early Run
The Falcons opened up tonight's contest with a layup from Matt Glogowksi and a layup from Colin Sareyka. The fast four points came just 31 seconds into the game and forced Alvernia to take an early timeout. 

The Golden Wolves attempted to gain momentum as they drained a three-pointer, cutting the Falcons' lead to 4-3 but Messiah went on an 8-0 run over the span of three minutes and six seconds to take a 12-3 lead. The run was composed solely of points from Josh Darville and Matt Glogowski. 

Holding On
With Messiah holding a 12-3 lead, a bucket beyond the arc from the Golden Wolves sparked their offense with 14:35 to play in the half. Alvernia used the next two minutes of the contest to reduce Messiah's lead to just two points at 13-11 with 12:37 remaining before the break. The offensive charge from the Golden Wolves forced the Falcons to call a timeout to regroup.

Out of the break, Josh Darville fought through the paint for a layup that put Messiah up 15-11 with a 11:53 left in the first half. Alvernia answered with a layup of their own to cut the Falcons' lead in half once more. With 10:24 on the clock, Will Young IV finished an and-one layup, giving the Falcons the 18-13 lead. Messiah continued to hold on to their lead, fighting their way to a 23-17 advantage with a jumper from Zach McDonough and a three-pointer from Kyle Krout with 7:40 to play in the half. 

Heating Up
Right after reentering the game with 6:54 left in the first half, EJ Porter drained a three to give the Falcons a 26-17 lead. Alvernia responded with a three-pointer of their own but EJ Porter fired right back, dropping his second three in less than 45 seconds. Colin Sareyka added a layup with 5:14 to play in the half to give Messiah a 31-20 lead. 

Alvernia went on a quick 6-0 run that lasted just over a minute. The streak cut Messiah's lead to five before EJ Porter ended the run with another three-pointer to give the Falcons a 34-26 lead with 3:01 to play in the half. Colin Sareyka completed an and-one layup to give the Falcons a 37-28 lead with 2:14 remaining on the clock in the first half. 

After a scoreless minute and 32 seconds the Golden Wolves drove through the paint to score a layup but EJ Porter drilled his fourth triple of the night to make it 40-30 at the half. 

Pulling Away From Downtown
The Falcons opened up the second half with three three-pointers and two layups in just over five minutes. Zach McDonough started the three-point barrage in the half and Matt Glogowski and Colin Sareyka kept it going from downtown for Messiah. 

With 11:50 remaining, Will Young IV dropped in two points off a layup and Kyle Krout came through just 28 seconds later, draining a three-pointer to give Messiah a 60-45 lead. That three from Krout forced the Golden Wolves to take a timeout. Out of the timeout, Alvernia sunk two free throws but EJ Porter drained his fifth shot from beyond the arc with 10:12 remaining the game, giving him a perfect, 5-5 effort from downtown on the evening.

The Golden Wolves went on a 7-0 run, setting the score at 63-54 but EJ Porter ended the run with his first bucket from inside the arc with a runner on the right-side. Will Young IV kept things going with a layup, making it 67-54 with 6:03 remaining in the contest.

The Falcons collected five points from the charity stripe in the last five minutes and 22 seconds of the contest. With 1:50 remaining in the game, Matt Glogowski drained a thee-pointer to cap off Messiah's 77-60 victory over the Golden Wolves.

What's Up Next
Messiah is now 8-12 overall and 4-7 in the conference and will continue play on Jordan Court on Jan. 30 at 8:00 p.m. against the Stevenson Mustangs. The last time the two teams faced off, Messiah dropped the contest 80-66 on the road.