THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The Messiah men's basketball team wrapped up the 2019 calendar year with a 66-49 victory over the California Lutheran Kingsmen on Monday afternoon. EJ Porter dropped a game-high 16 points while Sam Whittle added 12 points off the bench and Nate Eberle finished with 10 in the game.

Outside of a 12-second span in the middle of the first half when the game was tied at 14-14, Messiah held a lead for the entirety of Monday's tilt.

The Falcons built an eight-point, 37-28 lead at the break and extended the advantage over the course of the second half to as many as 19 points, eventually claiming the 66-49 victory.

With the victory, Messiah moves to 7-4 on the season and will be back in action this Saturday when they host the Lancaster Bible College Chargers at 7:00 p.m. on Jordan Court in Hitchcock Arena.

Consistent Effort
Less than four minutes into the contest, the Falcons took an early 9-4 lead thanks to a three from Kyle Krout, a layup from Colin Sareyka, and a pair of buckets from EJ Porter. Four minutes later the Kingsmen tied up the game at 14-14 after a 10-5 run.

After a three from Caleb Light on the ensuing possession gave Messiah the lead at 17-14, the Falcons never looked back. Messiah led for the final 31:42 of the game, eventually claiming the 66-49 victory.

The Falcons built a nine-point lead at the half thanks to an 11-point first-half effort from EJ Porter. During the opening 20 minutes, Porter went 4-5 from the field, knocking down a pair of threes. Messiah took a 37-28 lead at the half and continued to grow their lead after the break.

After being held scoreless in the first half, Nate Eberle collected 11 points after the break with a 5-6 effort from the floor. Eberle also grabbed six rebounds in the half to lead the Falcons as they pulled away in the second half.

Down the stretch, the Falcons pulled ahead by as many as 19 points after a layup from Cam Carter at 62-43 and a jumper from Sam Whittle at 64-45.

Free throws in the final two minutes gave Messiah the 66-49 victory.

Owning the Boards
The Falcons dominated the glass on Monday, out rebounding the Kingsmen 47-31 in the game. Messiah grabbed 11 rebounds on the offensive end, resulting in six second-chance points. Josh Darville and Nate Eberle led Messiah with 10 and nine rebounds, respectively.

In total, 12 of the 13 Falcons that saw action against Cal Lutheran collected at least one rebound with a half dozen Falcons earning at least three boards.

What's Up Next
With the 66-49 victory, Messiah moves to 7-4 overall on the season and will back in action on Saturday evening when they host the Lancaster Bible College Chargers in Hitchcock Arena at 7:00 p.m. Last season the Chargers earned an 81-72 victory over Messiah in an early season meeting in Lancaster.