Box Score Men's Basketball
Messiah 65, Lebanon Valley 58

ANNVILLE, Pa. - A tough defensive game by Messiah helped the visitors hold off Lebanon Valley in a 65-58 Commonwealth Conference decision on Wednesday.

The Dutchmen (2-2, 1-1 CC) allowed 24 points off 17 turnovers to the Falcons (2-2, 1-0 CC), who were led by Brad Bolen's 28 points.

Matt O'Brien led LVC with a career-high 23 points, and Danny Brooks notched another double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Kevin Agnew pitched in 10 points.

LVC was held to 39.1% shooting overall as Messiah racked up 14 steals and hit six three-pointers to help them overcome an early Dutchman lead. The hosts led 10-2 to start the game, but a 7-0 run late in the first half keyed by back-to-back Bolen scores secured the lead for the Falcons, and they never relinquished it.

Messiah went up by as much as 15 in the second half before LVC surged back to make things interesting; down 50-35, O'Brien scored eight straight points to bring it to 51-43, and an Agnew trey followed by Brooks' trip to the foul line made it a two-buckety game at 53-47 with 4:41 to go. Messiah did its work at the line in the closing minutes, however, as Derek Mosley and Bolen both made pairs around Bolen's layup to run the lead back to double digits on the way to the 65-58 win.

LVC will host Widener on Saturday.