GRANTHAM, PA. – On Saturday afternoon, the Messiah men's basketball team defeated the Eagles of Eastern University 68-66, thanks to a game winning buzzer beater from Cole Fisher. The Falcons held full control of the first half, getting contributions from Caleb Lyles, Ben Wert, and Jordan Edwards-Saliu to hold a 32-24 lead at the half. Coming out of the break, Messiah stayed on the attack extending their lead to as big as 52-33. However, the Eagles would make a charge back, slowly chopping away at the lead. The Eagles were able to come within two with just 1:31 remaining. Following a go-ahead three pointer from Easter with 45 seconds remaining, the Falcons had one last possession. After a couple of missed opportunities from the Falcons, senior Cole Fisher came through with a last second three to give Messiah the 68-66 win.
 
Up Next: The Falcons will travel to Owings Mill, MD for a match against the Stevenson Mustangs.
 
How It Happened
First Half
The Falcons got off to a strong start over the Eagles, grabbing an early 10-4 lead behind Caleb Lyles eight points. Messiah continued to stay hot, thanks to Jordan Edwards-Saliu, Ben Wert, and Luke Hostetler all knocking down big baskets to extend the lead to 22-6. However, the Eagles would remain calm going on an 13-0 run cutting the deficit to 22-19. Despite surrendering the big lead the Falcons would close out the half on a 10-5 run to hold a 32-24 lead heading into the half.
 
Second Half
Coming out of the half, the Eagles were able to cut the Falcons lead to six, trailing 35-29. In a two-minute span both teams traded baskets in every possession, as the Falcons led 41-33 at the 15-minute mark. However, an 11-0 run from Messiah, led by Lyles, Fisher, and Edwards-Saliu opened a 52-33 cushion. The Eagles, however, were not silenced, a 14-5 run from Eastern allowed them to cut the Falcons lead to 57-47. Following an Edwards-Saliu layup, the Eagles would score a quick four points with 7:04 on the clock to make it a single digit game (59-51). No one would score over a two-minute stretch, until two Wert free throws broke the silence following an eventful sequence of events. Eastern would not go away, down 61-51 the Eagles went on to score 10 of the next 12 points to make it a 63-61 game with 2:35 on the clock. Lyles would come down the other way and score a tough layup to give the Falcons a four-point cushion. However, Eastern would respond with a basket of their own with 1:31 remaining. Down two points, the Eagles would sink a huge three with 45 seconds remaining to give Eastern the late 66-65 lead. The next 45 seconds would be the biggest 45 seconds of the season. Following two missed shots from Lyles and Jackson, coach Rick Van-Pelt would call a timeout with two seconds on the clock for one last shot. After a broken play, Cole Fisher would turn around and step back from beyond the arc to knock down a buzzer beater to give the Falcons their most exciting win of the season.
 
Stats
Caleb Lyles led the Falcons with 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Christian Jackson as the lead point, tallied a team high seven assists. Ben Wert provided valuable minutes with 15 points, seven rebounds, four steals, and two blocks. Jordan Edwards-Saliu picked up nine rebounds off the bench.
 
What's Up Next
The Falcons will take on the Stevenson Mustangs, Wednesday, Jan. 29th at 7:00pm in Owings Mills, MD.