HAVERFORD, Pa. – On Wednesday evening, the Messiah men's basketball team picked up their first win of the season, defeating Haverford College (74-58). The Falcons offense found a groove early on and never looked back through the entire game. Messiah used a strong first half from Caleb Lyles and Johnny McBride to hold a 13-point (36-23) lead at half. The Falcons would than come out the gates storming to expand their lead to 21 through the first four minutes of the second half. For the remainder of the game, Messiahs persistent defense and great offensive actions led them to a (74-58) win on the road.
 
Up Next
The Falcons will come back home for the final time of 2024 to face Dickinson College on Saturday, Dec. 14.
 
First Half
Both offenses were slow to begin the contest, as a Cole Fisher layup gave Messiah the early 6-5 lead through five minutes. Over the next five minutes, Caleb Lyles and Fisher provided more offense to cling on to a 12-11 advantage. Both squads would go cold over the next couple of possessions, until an Avery Kopcha layup followed by back-to-back Fisher baskets gave Messiah the 18-11 lead with eight minutes remaining in the half. Lyles and Jordan Edwards-Saliu did most of the scoring over a four-minute stretch to extend their lead to 26-18. Messiah would finish the half strong holding the Fords to just 23 points, leading 36-23 at the half.
 
Second Half
The Falcons would come out of the half firing on all cylinders, knocking down shots from all over the floor to extend their lead to as large as 21 points (45-24) through four minutes of play. The Fords didn't go away quietly, as their offense started to find some success, but Messiah's offense kept them at bay, holding on to an 55-38 lead with 10 minutes to go in the game. Following a Luke Hostetler three, the Fords would go on a little run to cut the deficit to 57-45. However, over the next three minutes, Falcons Edwards-Saliu and Fisher continued to score, holding on to a 66-50 advantage with 3:11 on the clock. Messiah closed out the game strong, defeating the Fords 74-58 picking up their first win of the season.
 
Stats
Cole Fisher led the Falcons with 25 points shooting 7-13 from the fields, going a perfect 10-10 from the line. Caleb Lyles added 15 points and seven rebounds, while Johnny McBride picked up a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
 
What's Up Next
The Falcons will finally come home to take on the Red Devils of Dickinson College Saturday, Dec. 14 at 2:00p.m.