Messiah 64, Lebanon Valley 51

LVC Starters
Light, Conrad, Orr, Boccanfuso, Mrozek

Messiah Starters
Hess, Murren, Clippinger, Cable, Boyle

How It Happened
Lebanon Valley struggled through its worst shooting night of the season en route to a 64-51 loss at the hands of MAC Commonwealth rival Messiah on Wednesday night.

The Flying Dutchmen (11-6, 5-3 MAC Commonwealth) managed just 14 field goals on a night when the Falcons (5-12, 2-6 MAC Commonwealth) and their 34.9 shooting percentage weren't much better. Where Messiah managed to gain the upper hand was in its deadliness from distance, as the Falcons knocked down 10 triples compared to just two by LVC.

The visitors used that long-range shooting to build a double-digit lead for the first time early in the second half. Luke Cable, Logan Long, and Neil Murren combined to launch five triples in the minutes following the break. All five shots found cotton.

Trailing 46-32 with 12:13 remaining, Andy Orr knocked down a jumper and Sam Light converted a difficult old-fashioned 3-point play to cut the deficit to single digits at the 10:35 mark. Light sunk a pair of free throws on the team's next possession to keep things manageable but Messiah's ensuing 8-0 run capped by another Murren 3-ball proved too much to overcome down the stretch.

The Dutchmen looked good in the early going, jumping out to a 12-4 lead to begin the game when Zach Mrozek cut through the lane and converted a contested layup. From there, however, Lebanon Valley's shooting woes began, as the team missed 10 field goal attempts and committed seven turnovers. Messiah took advantage and eventually drew even with LVC heading into halftime.

Orr was LVC's spark plug early on, scoring 11 of his 16 points in the first half. Only the big man, Light, Mrozek, and Will Boccanfuso managed field goals for the Dutchmen before the break.

Turning Point
The opening 7:47 of the second half saw Messiah shooters go 5-for-5 from beyond the arc, breaking a 25-25 halftime stalemate and giving the Falcons their largest lead of the game to that point at 46-32. LVC drew to within nine on two separate occasions but came no closer than that.

Stat of the Game
25.5 percent – The Dutchmen's shooting percentage from the field (14-of-55). It was a rare off-night for the team as a whole, considering LVC has shot better than 50 percent from the floor in nine games this season.

Inside the Numbers
- Lebanon Valley, the MAC Commonwealth's second-highest scoring team entering Wednesday's game, was held to a season-low 51 points.
- Sam Light netted a team-high 18 points for LVC. He was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line.
- Andy Orr finished one rebound shy of a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds. He added a pair of blocks and a steal.
- Will Boccanfuso pulled in seven rebounds to go along with his six tallies.
- The Dutchmen managed an 11.8 shooting percentage (2-for-17) from beyond the arc.
- Messiah's bench outscored the LVC reserves 23-to-7.
- Luke Cable scored a game-high 15 points for the Falcons. Neil Murren recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
- LVC dropped two games in a row for just the second time this season.

Who's Next?
The Dutchmen travel to Albright for a showdown with their longtime rivals on Saturday afternoon. LVC defeated the Lions 89-72 in the teams' first matchup on Dec. 5.