GRANTHAM, Pa. - Facing the Widener Pride, the top team in the MAC Commonwealth, the Messiah men's basketball team fought valiantly after falling into a 26-13 hole midway through the opening half. Messiah battled back over the next 20 minutes to flip the score in favor of the Falcons at 71-59 with 11:19 remaining in the game, but it was the Pride who closed out a victory on Friday night. Widener earned the 87-81 victory.
 
Colin Sareyka finished with a team-high 21 points while Kyle Krout and EJ Porter ended the night with 16 points each to join Sareyka in double-figures.
 
Josh Darville snagged a game-high 12 rebounds in the game.
 
The Falcons will be back in action on Wednesday night when they travel to Stevenson at 6:00 p.m.
 
Red Hot Start For Widener
The Pride got off to the best start possible in this one, scoring 22 points in just over five and a half minutes to take a 22-11 lead. They made six threes, with four of them coming from Elijah Boyd.

Roaring Back
The Falcons then began to claw back throughout the remainder of the first half. They still trailed by 11 with 5:55 remaining in the half, and the score 36-25. They cut the lead to one after a Colin Sareyka layup made it 36-35 with 4:06 left in the half. Leading up to this, EJ Porter and Kyle Krout knocked down threes before a Krout jumper set up the Sareyka layup.

The Falcons could not get over the hump to take the lead until just 38 seconds remained in the half, where a Sareyka three ball sent them into the break with a 43-42 lead.

Second Half Drama
The Falcons came out of halftime shooting the ball well. Porter knocked down a pair of threes and a jumper to help Messiah jump out to a big 61-51 lead with 15:17 left in the game. This lead ballooned to 71-59 a few minutes later, but the Pride were not down and out of this one. Seven Jared Peters points and five AJ Sawyers points ignited their 12-0 run to tie the game up at 71-71 with 8:47 to play.

The two teams traded the lead throughout the remainder of the contest, with neither gaining a distinct edge. A Steven Matlack three gave the Pride an 82-81 lead with just over a minute remaining in the game. That three proved to be the difference as the Falcons missed a three on the other end. Widener's ensuing possession resulted in three Connor Laverty free throws after he was fouled behind the line. This gave the Pride an 85-81 lead, as they hit two more free throws down the stretch to pick up the 87-81 win.

Senior Night
Before the game, five Falcons were honored for senior night. The seniors were Colin Sareyka, Josh Darville, Kyle Krout, Jordan Criddle, and Nate Eberle.

What's Up Next
The Falcons drop to 9-13 on the season after the loss and 2-11 in the MAC Commonwealth. They will be back in action at Stevenson University on Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m. Messiah beat the Mustangs 65-47 in their first matchup back on Dec. 4.