ELIZABETHTOWN, PA. -  On Saturday evening, the Messiah men's basketball team suffered an 88-68 loss after a second half collapse. The first half was a great outing from Christian Jackson, Caleb Lyles, and Ethan Johnson. The Falcons held control for most of the first half, until a 12-4 run from the Blue jays gave them a 40-37 lead heading into the half. Coming out of halftime, the Falcons stayed within striking distance despite consistent scoring from Elizabethtown. After trailing for the first six minutes, a Jackson layup would tie it up at 49-49. However, a 13-0 run allowed the Blue jays to extend their lead to 62-49 putting the Falcons in a hole they would not overcome. For the remainder of the game, Messiah cold not cut the deficit getting outscored 26-19 in the final 10 minutes.
 
Up Next
The Falcons will head to Harrisonburg, VA Wednesday, Nov. 20 for a match with the Royals of Eastern Mennonite University.
 
How It Happened
First Half
The First half was strong for the Falcons, holding a slim lead throughout its entirety. Through the first five minutes, Cole Fisher, Caleb Lyles, and Christian Jackson provided the scoring to give them a 10-9 lead. As the half-continued, Jackson and Lyles continued their offensive attack but found themselves trailing 20-19 with 10 minutes remaining. Over the next couple of minutes, Jackson, Ben Wert, and Ethan Johnson found the bottom of the net to regain a 33-28 lead with five minutes left in the half. Despite the Falcons strong play, Elizabethtown found a way to end the half on top leading 40-37.
 
Second Half
Johnny McBride, Jackson, and Johnson got it going early for the Falcons staying within striking distance through the first five minutes of the second half. Following a Blue jay basket, Johnson and Jackson would hit back-to-back buckets to tie the game up at 49-49 with 13 minutes remaining. However, a 13-0 run from Elizabethtown propelled them to a 62-49 advantage with just under 10 remaining in the game. Following that run, Messiah would not be able to mustard up enough fire power to mount a comeback as the Blue jays went on to outscore the Falcons 26-19 to win the game 88-68.
 
Stats
Christian Jackson performed well for the Falcons with 23 points in 33 minutes played. Ethan Johnson knocked down four threes to add 14 points of his own. Caleb Lyles tallied 10 points and four rebounds.
 
What's Up Next
The Falcons will take on the Royals of Eastern Mennonite University Wednesday, Nov. 20^th at 7:00p.m.