Reading, Pa. (February 21, 2026) - Alvernia University (14-10, 8-6) took down Messiah University (4-21, 0-14), 86-75, Saturday afternoon behind a 35 point performance from Elijah Hamilton in a MAC Commonwealth men's basketball tilt on Alvernia's Jack McCloskey Court. 

Prior to the matchup, Alvernia Men's Basketball honored Naji Hamilton as the lone senior on the squad. 

The Falcons held a one point, 37-36, advantage at the halftime break but the Golden Wolves outscored the Falcons 50-38 in the second half en route to the victory. 

The win comes in the regular season finale for the Golden Wolves and marks the 13 straight victory for the Golden Wolves over the Falcons. 

How it Happened 

• Both the Golden Wolves and the Falcons came out firing to start the game but neither team seemed to find a rhythm offensively. Messiah grabbed the early 8-4 lead but the Golden Wolves climbed back with a 15-11 scoring stretch that tied the game at 19 a piece with ten minutes to play in the first half. 
• Alvernia then took the lead thanks to a Robert Cottrell driving layup that sparked a 13-5 scoring run that pushed its lead to eight, 32-24, with five minutes left in the first half. 
• Messiah climbed back into the game over the last five minutes of the half and ended the first half on a 13-4 scoring run of its own to grab the one point, 37-36 lead heading into the halftime break. 
• Elijah Hamilton led the way for the Golden Wolves in the first half with 13 points. Rasheem Dearry followed with six and Robert Cottrell and Kareem Diaz both added five. 
• The Golden Wolves and the Falcons traded buckets back and forth over the first four minutes of the second half before a Hamilton and one put the Golden Wolves up four, 47-43. 
• Alvernia then ripped off an 18-8 scoring run that pushed its lead to 14, 65-51, with ten minutes to play but the Falcons responded with a 14-8 scoring stretch to pull within eight, 73-65, with five minutes to play. 
• That would be the closest the Falcons would get to the Golden Wolves as Alvernia ended the game on a 13-10 run to secure the 86-75 victory over Messiah. 

Inside the Box Score 

• Elijah Hamilton led the way with a 35 point, nine rebound performance in his final game on Jack McCloskey Court this season. Hamilton went 12-20 from the floor and 11-13 at the charity stripe and added one assist, one steal and one block. 
• Rasheem Dearry followed with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists and Robert Cottrell rounded out the Golden Wolves in double figures with ten points, three rebounds and three assists. 
• Mason Jones tallied nine points and grabbed a team high 13 rebounds and also added three assists and two steals. 
• Kareem Diaz also scored nine points and added four rebounds and senior Naji Hamilton tallied five points, two rebounds and one block. 

Up Next 

• The Golden Wolves are back in action on Wednesday when they travel to Hood College to take on the top seeded Blazers in a MAC Commonwealth semifinal at 7:00 PM. The playoff matchup comes as the first time the Golden Wolves and the Blazers will meet in a postseason setting.