Chestertown, Md. – The Messiah University men's basketball team ended 2023 on a strong note with a 69-56 win over the Washington College Shoremen. The Falcons took control of the game In the first half with a nine-point run. The Falcons continued to push the pace in the second half and finished strong to win 69-56. Caleb Thompson led the Falcons with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists.
 
Up next, the Falcons travel to Albright College on Jan. 3 at 7:00 p.m. to open MAC Commonwealth play.

First Half
In the first five minutes of the first half the Falcons and Shoremen each traded three pointers with Cole Fisher making both threes for the Falcons. The Falcons then responded with a quick 9-3 run that gave Messiah a 15-9 lead with 12:14 remaining in the half. Caleb Thompson started the run with a layup and the run ended with a jumper from Dylan Cuperus. The two teams then started to trade baskets before a three from the Shoremen cut the Falcons lead to three with 7:44 remaining in the half. The Falcons then responded with a 9-0 run that was capped off by a three from Evan Parker to push the Falcons lead to 32-20 with three minutes remaining. After two straight threes from the Shoremen, Cole Fisher hit another basket to give the Falcons a 34-26 lead at the half.
 
Second Half
The two teams traded baskets to open the second half, with Caleb Thompson throwing down a dunk to keep the Falcons lead at eight with 15 minutes remaining in the game. The two teams continued to trade baskets with a Thompson jumper and a Bryce Coletti three for the baskets for the Falcons. After the traded baskets, the Falcons went on a 7-2 run that was led by five points from Caleb Thompson to give the Falcons a 49-38 lead midway through the second half. The Falcons continued to answer every basket from the Shoremen, with a couple of big threes from Bryce Coletti leading the charge for the Falcons. In the final two minutes, Dylan Cuperus and Cole Fisher each made layups and a Caleb Thompson free throw put the final score at 69-56.
 
Stats
Caleb Thompson led the Falcons with a career-high 16 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. It is the first double-double of Thompson's career. Bryce Coletti scored 15 points and added five assists. Cole Fisher totaled 14 points, three steals, and two assists. Dylan Cuperus added in 11 points and five rebounds. The Falcons shot 55.1 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from behind the arc. The Shoremen shot 40.4% from the field and 50 percent from three.  
 
Next
The Falcons travel to Albright College on Jan. 3 at 7:00 p.m. to open MAC Commonwealth play.