READING, Pa. – The Messiah Men's Basketball team wrapped up the 2025-26 season on the road on Saturday afternoon, falling 86-75 to the Alvernia University Golden Wolves. After a close contested first half, the Falcons took a one-point lead into the break. However, a quick start from Alvernia in the second half gave them a lead that they never let up, winning 86-75. Freddy Herbst had a double-double with 16 points and 17 rebounds. Caleb Lyles led the Falcons with 24 points. Myles Herbert added 11 points, eight assists, and five rebounds.
 
First Half
Caleb Lyles had four points, Johnny McBride scored two in the paint, and Avery Kopcha hit a three as the Falcons held a 10-6 lead five minutes in. Freddy Herbst added four points and Lyles hit a three as the Falcons still led with 12:35 to play, up 19-14. The Golden Wolves responded with a 10-point run to take a 24-19 lead with 9:22 remaining in the half. Caleb Lyles scored three points to stop the run, quickly followed by Freddy Herbst scoring in the paint to make it 25-24, Alvernia. Three straight baskets for Alvernia pushed their lead to eight points, up 32-24, but Messiah used a 9-0 run to take a 33-32 lead. During the Falcons run, Myles Herbert had five points, and Caleb Lyles and Freddy Herbst added one bucket each. Herbst scored four more points in the half, and the Falcons took a 37-36 lead into the break.
 
Second Half
The teams traded baskets early, with seven lead changes coming in the first three and a half minutes, with Alvernia leading 44-43. During this stretch, Jordan Edwards-Saliu, Johnny McBride, and Caleb Lyles all scored for the Falcons. Alvernia then began to build a lead, with the Golden Wolves up 55-46 and 13:15 to play in the half.  Avery Kopcha hit a three for Messiah at the 12:57 mark, but Alvernia used a few buckets to push the lead to 14 points. Freddy Herbst and Declan Hersh both scored for Messiah over the next few minutes, but Alvernia still led by double digits. Over the next five minutes, Johnny McBride, Caleb Lyles, Jordan Edwards-Saliu, and Myles Herbert all scored for Messiah, but Alvernia still led, 79-65 with 4:22 to play. Lyles and Herbert both hit threes in the final minutes, and Edwards-Saliu and Herbst both scored in the paint, but Alvernia held on to win, 86-75.
 
Stats
Freddy Herbst had a double-double with 16 points and 17 rebounds. Caleb Lyles led the Falcons with 24 points. Myles Herbert added 11 points, eight assists, and five rebounds. Jordan Edwards-Saliu added nine points. Johnny McBride had six points and eight rebounds.