(GRANTHAM, Pa.) – The men's basketball team finished the opening weekend in style and gave
Dexter Harris his first win as a head coach as Wilson defeated Messiah on Saturday afternoon. The two were meeting in the consolation game of the Falcons' opening season tournament and saw the Phoenix roar back in the second half where they shot 55.6% to take the win.
The Basics
Score: Wilson 69, Messiah 62
Venue: Hitchcock Arena
Records: Wilson 1-1, 0-0 UE; Messiah 0-2, 0-0 MAC Commonwealth)
How It Happened
- A slow start hurt Wilson at the start of the contest as Messiah jumped out to an 11-2 lead in a little under six minutes of action. A Tobias Reese (FY, Mansfield, Texas / St. Elizabeth [Del.]) triple put the Phoenix back on track and consecutive 3-pointers by Gary Robertson (Gr., Washington, D.C. / Potomac / Bryant and Stratton) and Winston Raford (So., Woodbridge, Pa. / Forest Park) eventually put them up 16-13 with nine minutes left in the first.
- The bonus bombs fell for both teams as another Robertson trey made it 19-13 before the Falcons answered with one of their own. They built momentum with another pair of buckets from range to take a 24-21 lead and went into the break up 27-23.
- Another 3-pointer by Messiah opened the second half, but at that point the Phoenix charged ahead and went on a 12-0 run to take the lead. Armani Jones (Jr., Chicago, Ill. / Christ The King / Bryant and Stratton) sparked the comeback with a jumper and was followed up with treys from Robertson and Jones to take a 31-30 lead. Jordan McKenzie (Sr., White Plains, Md. / North Point / Southern Maryland) was pivotal at the end of it as Trea Keys (Sr., Columbia, Md. / Wilde Lake / Howard C.C.) found him for an open inside jumper before he returned the favor by getting a steal and dished it to Keys for a bucket to make it 35-30.
- Messiah was able to tie the game once again at 37-all, but the Falcons never regained the lead. Wilson went on a 14-2 run to regain control and took a 51-39 lead after a Jalen Pierce (Jr., Richmond, Va. / Collegiate / Millersville) 3-pointer on a Robertson helper. The Falcons were able to cut the deficit down to a single possession when a Caleb Lyles layup made it 62-59 with 1:58 to go, but Wilson was perfect at the free throw line down the stretch to seal the victory.
Inside The Numbers
- Robertson completed an impressive opening weekend by scoring 17 points after he wend 6-for-11 overall from the field. He was even more effective behind the arc where he was 4-for-6. Robertson was once again strong on the glass with five rebounds and added six assists.
- Jones chalked up his second double-double in as many games with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Defensively he posed problems with two blocks and two steals.
- McKenzie hit double figures with 11 points. He was 5-for-8 on the day.
- Wilson hit 10 3-pointers on the afternoon on 26 attempts.
- Wilson is now 2-1 all-time against Messiah. The series began in 2017 when the Falcons defeated the Phoenix 88-59 on November 17. Two years ago Wilson defeated Messiah 73-63 on December 7.
For the Falcons
- Caleb Lyles led all scorers with 18 points. He was 7-for-11 from the field and 3-of-6 from behind the arc. He added a double-double with 10 boards.
- Christian Jackson and Cole Fisher joined him in double figures with 14 and 11 points, respectively.
Up Next
The Phoenix will entertain Shenandoah for the home opener on Wednesday at 5 p.m. It will be the first doubleheader of the year with women's basketball taking on Mount Aloysius afterwards.
