GRANTHAM, PA. – The Messiah men's basketball team fell to the Stevenson Mustangs 89-84 in overtime.
Bryce Coletti led the team with 25 points, and five assists.
Caleb Lyles finished with 24 points and seven rebounds.
Messiah will be back in action Saturday, Jan 27 at Hood College.
Strong First Half
The Falcons got off to a slow start, trailing the mustangs early 7-3. However, the Falcons began to knock down shots chipping away at the Mustang lead.
Caleb Lyles and
Bryce Coletti would make tough shots, but a
Dylan Cuperus three from the top of the key would tie the game up at 11-11. Messiah would continue to apply pressure offensively matching the Mustangs stride for stride over the next four minutes.
Christian Jackson would make a tough floater to tie the game back up at 20-20 with 8:35 on the clock. Both teams continued to trade baskets until, back-to-back threes from
Cole Fisher and Lyles giving the Falcons a 28-26 advantage with give minutes remaining in the half. The Falcons would finish the half strong holding Stevenson to 35 points, ending the half up 41-35.
Tight Second Half
Messiah kept their foot on the gas entering the second half. Lyles, Fisher and Coletti all would contribute with quick baskets to open a 49-40 lead three minutes into the half. However, over the next three minutes Stevenson would go on a 9-3 run to tie the game up at 52-52. The Mustangs continued to score, despite the Falcons answering the call offensively giving them a 61-59 lead with 9:08 remaining in the half. Both Coletti and Lyles would be the driving forces in this game, with both scoring at will for the Falcons. However, the Mustangs did just enough to hold on to the lead for the remaining four minutes until back-to-back baskets from Coletti in the final minute of the game to send them to overtime.
Going Cold in Overtime
The Falcons entered overtime seemingly with all the momentum. However, missed opportunities in the first three minutes shifted the momentum in Stevenson's favor, as the Mustangs went on a 6-0 run to take an 81-75 lead. From that point on the Falcons could not muster up enough offensively to force another overtime, with the Mustangs escaping Grantham with an 89-84 win.
What's Up Next
The Falcons will be on the road against Hood College Saturday, Jan 27. Tip-off is set for 4:00p.m.