Reading, Pa. (Dec. 8, 2018) - Messiah College (5-5, 2-1) closed the game with seven of the last eight points in the final two minutes for a 68-63 win over Alvernia University (3-6, 0-4) Saturday afternoon in MAC Commonwealth men's basketball action at Jack McCloskey Court.

Alvernia sophomore Keon Taylor scored on a driving floater with 2:18 to play to put the Golden Wolves up 62-61, but Messiah answered right back on a 3 from Zach McDonough from the right corner to go back up 64-62.

Both teams came up empty on their next possessions and Taylor hit a free throw to pull within one.  Alvernia forced a turnover but gave it right back then Messiah missed a layup, but another Alvernia turnover left the Wolves down a point.

Colin Sareyka hit a pair of free throws for the Falcons with nine seconds to go and two more with three seconds left for the final margin.

The Wolves were frigid from the floor in the first five minutes going 0-for-7 and scoring just one free throw while Messiah pushed out to a 13-1 lead.  Matt Globowski led the Falcons with six points on the run and Sareyka added five.

Alvernia's first bucket of the game came at 11:42 when junior Nick Youngkin scored to make it 15-5 Messiah.

Youngkin followed with a 3, but a quick 8-4 Messiah run put the guests up 10, 23-13 with 8:10 left in the first half.

Malik Green hit a pair of 3s and Rob Young, Jr. added another as the Wolves scored nine quick points from beyond the arc in just over a minute to cut the Messiah lead down to four points.

With 90 seconds left in the half Youngkin knocked down a 3 to give Alvernia its first lead of the game, 34-33.  Messiah took it back with a Sareyka jumper, but Alvernia scored the final four points of the half for a 38-35 lead at the break.

Alvernia finally built a bit of a game with an 8-0 run sparked by back to back buckets from Green that put the Wolves up 49-42.  The lead was seven points again when Youngkin hit a 25-footer with the shot clock winding down that put Alvernia up 58-51 with 6:15 to play.

Messiah scored 10 straight from there to take a 61-85 lead, and Youngkin hit a pair of free throws before Taylor's floater.

Youngkin led the Wolves with 16 points, Green finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Avery Walker added 10 points.  Matt Glogowski led all scorers with 25 points.

Alvernia is off for finals week and returns to action December 19 at Immaculata.

Messiah 68, Alvernia 63