Grantham, PA – Messiah College erased a 10-point deficit in the final three minutees and Brad Bolen hit a game-winning runner to give the Falcons a thrilling, 76-75 win over Hartwick College in the Homewood Suites Tip-Off Classic. Bolen's runner on the right side came with 20 seconds remaining as the Falcons survived two shots from the Hawks in the final seconds.
 
Bolen finished with a team-high 26 points and was named the Classic's MVP.
 
Messiah went down 71-61 with just 2:59 left after Jared Suderly scored on a backdoor feed from Joey Lufkin. After Zac Hoy missed a three-pointer, Matt Wilson missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw for Hartwick. Hoy then confidently hit a three-pointer on the Falcons' next possession to make it a 71-64 game.
 
Lufkin then missed another one-and-one offer for the Hawks—granted by way of Hoy's fifth foul—and Scott Bolen followed with a driving layup on the left side to cut the Messiah deficit to five points.
 
Anthony Keane continued the Hartwick free throw woes by making one of two attempts before Messiah again cut into the lead; on the Falcons' next possession Aaron DeVan hit a three-pointer of a staggered downscreen to bring Messiah to within 72-69.
 
With less than 90 seconds to play and Messiah was trailing 74-71 Brad Bolen hit a deep three-pointer from the left wing to tie the game and send the Falcons' fans into a roar. After trading scoreless possessions Matt Wilson went to the line for Hartwick with just 32 seconds remaining. He made the first attempt but saw his second offering rim out. Playing without calling timeout, Bolen brought the ball up the court and drove to the right for a runner near the block. His shot rolled through to put Messiah on top 76-75—their first lead since the 13:37 mark of the second-half (49-48).
 
On Hartwick's last possession Suderly's pull-up jumper near the left block rolled around the rim and wobbled off the right side where Matt Wilson attempted to tip the ball of the backboard. His attempt fell short and Aaron DeVan grabbed the rebound as the buzzer sounded.
 
The win set off a big celebration the Falcons and their fans, while Hartwick stood in disbelief that they let their lead slip away. The Hawks missed four free throws in the final 4:20 to contribute to the collapse, though Messiah's big shots and defensive grit had just as much to do with the outcome.
 
Lufkin finished with a game-high 27 points on 9-17 shooting while Suderly (12) and Wilson (10) joined him in double-figures. Suderly also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
 
Scott Bolen (14) and Hoy (13) joined Brad Bolen in double-figures. Taylor Groff, who scored 20 points last night, finished with just four points but was named All-Classic in large part because of his stellar defensive work on the interior.
 
Messiah's win also came after they lead for most of the first-half and the first six minutes of the second-half. The Falcons' ability to play with a lead was due mostly to their defensive pressure as they forced Hartwick into 27 turnovers. The Falcons, meanwhile, committed just 13 turnovers while also collecting 13 steals.
 
The win moved Messiah to 2-0 while Hartwick falls to an even 1-1. Messiah will next play on Wednesday, Nov. 20 when they travel to Penn. State-Harrisburg for an 8:00 p.m. game.