GRANTHAM, Pa. – Holding Messiah College to less than 35 percent shooting and 25 percent of its 3-pointers, the ninth-ranked Lycoming College men's basketball team used a stingy defensive effort to hold off a late rally in its 68-57 MAC Commonwealth win on Wednesday night, Jan. 24, at Hitchcock Arena.
 
It's the Warriors' second win over Messiah (11-7 overall, 5-4 MAC Commonwealth) this season. In the two wins, the Falcons have been held to a combined 28 percent field goal percentage and they hit just 15-of-74 3-pointers (20 percent). Messiah was also held to just 12 points in the paint on Wednesday night.
 
Freshman Darius Dangerfield (Abingdon, Md./Hartford Tech) led Lycoming (18-1 overall, 8-1 MAC Commonwealth) with 12 points, thanks to hitting 4-of-5 3-pointers. He also had four rebounds and two assists. Seniors Chris Wallace (Severna Park, Md./Calvert Hall) and Alex Newbold (Bowie, Md./DeMatha Catholic) each notched 11 points. Wallace added seven rebounds, four assists and two steals and Newbold had three steals and two assists. Sophomore Ronald Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y./Christ the King) totaled 10 points and seven rebounds.
 
After Messiah took a 12-11 lead with 9:13 remaining in the first half, Lycoming used a 19-6 closing first-half run to take a 12-point lead into the break. The Warriors' momentum continued into the second half as they opened it on a 12-4 run to extend the lead to 21, the biggest of the game. In nearly 10 minutes of game action bridging the first and second halves, the Warriors outscored Messiah 23-4.
 
Messiah eventually cut that lead down to seven with 11:36 remaining in the second half, but a quick 8-0 run capped by a baseline jumper from Wallace made it a 15-point game with a little under seven minutes remaining. Messiah countered with an 8-0 run over the next four minutes. On the ensuing possession, Wallace used a nice cross-court pass to find an open freshman D'Yante Doughty (Baltimore, Md./Calvert Hall) to hit a big 3-pointer to give the Warriors another double-digit lead. Messiah answered with a 3-pointer with just over two minutes remaining to make it 59-52. Lycoming hit four free throws in the next minute, including two from Doughty, to extend its lead to 11. The closest Messiah could get in the final minute was nine as the Warriors hit 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch.
 
Lycoming hit 49 percent of its shots and 8-of-14 from behind the arc. The Warriors held a 37-29 rebounding advantage and their bench outscored Messiah's, 22-6.
 
Freshman Ramadan Jennings (Jackson, Ohio/Life Skills) posted six points and five rebounds off the bench and Doughty had eight points and two rebounds.
 
Neil Murren led Messiah with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Colin Sareyka totaled 14 points and eight assists.
 
The Warriors return to action on Saturday, Jan. 27, when they head to Widener University for a 3 p.m. MAC Commonwealth game, tipping after the women's team's play at 1 p.m.