WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Messiah men's basketball team held on to win a 78-75 nail biter in overtime over Catholic University on the road. With just 4.9 seconds left in regulation, Messiah trailed 67-64. EJ Porter then caught a pass from Josh Darville on the left wing and sent a three-pointer into the air. With the Catholic crowd on their feet, Porter quieted the crowd as the ball found the net to tie the game up at 67-67. Porter ended the game with 14 points for the Falcons, while this shot sent the game into overtime. Messiah got off to a hot start in overtime, taking a 73-68 lead with 2:38 left in the period. Catholic was not done though, roaring back to cut the lead to 78-75 with 15.4 seconds left to play. The Cardinals were not able to get any closer, as their late three-point attempts were off the mark, leading to a thrilling 78-75 Messiah victory.

Colin Sareyka led all scorers in this one with 32 points, while he also added five rebounds and six assists. Josh Darville added 22 points for the Falcons with eight rebounds. This win moves Messiah to 1-0 on the season. The Falcons will get a few days off before getting back on the court at home in Grantham Friday night for their Tip-Off Tournament, taking on Clarks Summit University at 7:30 P.M. They then play either Ursinus or Randolph-Macon Saturday afternoon in the consolation or championship game. 

Trading Rallies
The two teams played to a 10-10 tie at the beginning of the first half before Messiah took a 19-10 lead after a 9-0 burst. This run was led by Josh Darville, who accounted for six of the nine points. The Cardinals came storming back though with a flurry of their own to take a 26-22 lead. The duo of Collin Hartmann and Thomas Huerter pushed Catholic to the 16-3 stretch with Hartmann accounting for seven points and Huerter six during the rally.

These streaks defined the first half, as the Falcons found a few buckets at the end of the half to knot things up at 26-26 heading into the break.

Late Game Heroics
Neither team was able to gain any advantage in the second half, with Messiah holding a slim 56-54 lead with 4:46 left in regulation. The Falcons continued to hold onto the lead at 63-59 with just 2:06 left in the game. Sareyka captained the Falcons offense for much of the second half, scoring 21 points in the half to help keep the Cardinals at bay. Catholic used the duo of Huerter and Hartmann to spearhead a 6-0 run to snatch a late 65-64 lead.

With just 29 second left in regulation, Sareyka drove the lane and sent up a running jumper that was off the mark. Nate Eberle was not able to corral the rebound before diving for the ball on the floor. Will Turgeon was there for the Cardinals and snagged the ball before calling a timeout. With 11 seconds on the clock, it forced Messiah to foul coming out of the timeout and put Catholic at the free throw line. Hartmann knocked down two free throws, giving the Cardinals a 67-64 lead with nine seconds to play.

The Falcons proceeded to run the play of the game, with Josh Darville finding EJ Porter on the left wing where the sophomore sent a three into the air. The ball rattled into the net and sent the Falcon bench into a frenzy as they tied the game up at 67-67. With the last second Cardinal heave off the mark, the game went into overtime.

Falcons Prevail
Porter picked up right where he left off at the end of regulation, picking up the Falcons first bucket of overtime and giving them a 69-67 lead. The Falcons continued to add to the lead, holding a 76-71 lead with 43 seconds left in overtime.

Catholic was not going to go down without a fight though, using two free throws to make it 76-73. After a Sareyka turnover, a Huerter bucket with 22 seconds left made it 76-75 and put the Falcons on their heels. Two Caleb Light free throws gave Messiah some breathing room at 78-75. Catholic was not able to find a three in the final seconds which gave Messiah a 78-75 victory and moves them to 1-0 on their young season.

Heating Up
After a slow first half that saw both teams shoot under 40% from the field, the lid began to come off the hoop in the second half. Messiah shot 48.3% in the second half, while Catholic shot 53.6%. Overtime proved to be the difference though, as Messiah shot 50% in the period while the Cardinals shot only 25%.

What's Up Next
As mentioned, this win improves Messiah to 1-0 overall. They will play their home opener in Hitchcock Arena Friday night at 7:30 P.M. against Clarks Summit University as part of their Tip-Off Tournament. After a quick turnaround, they will play Ursinus College or Randolph-Macon College Saturday afternoon in the consolation or championship game of the tournament.