Grantham, PA - Messiah College broke open a close game with Widener late in the second-half to win 80-69 on Tuesday and, coupled with wins by both Alvernia and Stevenson, continued to hold a narrow advantage on first place in the Commonwealth Conference. Brad Bolen led all scorers with 27 points while also collecting eight rebounds and dishing out five assists. Zac Hoy (17 points) and Taylor Groff (16 points) combined for another 33 points to lead Messiah to the win.

The Falcons moved to 13-4 in the Commonwealth with the win. Both Alvernia and Stevenson finished the night at 12-5, keeping pace and making Saturday's regular-season finale a must-watch day of basketball. Messiah and Alvernia will match-up in that finale, with Stevenson playing Lebanon Valley.
 
Messiah seemed to hold control throughout the Senior Night match-up, though a 13-point lead in the first-half turned into just a six-point advantage at halftime. At the start of the second-half the Pride even took a 45-41 lead before the Falcons fought back quickly to take a 46-45 lead at the 13:20 mark on a three-pointer by Brad Bolen.
 
That shot from Bolen was one of five three-pointers the Falcons hit in the second-half as they picked apart the Widener zone. Messiah shot 8-19 (42.1%) overall from three, proof that their offense was the least of their worries on the night.
 
On defense, however, Messiah struggled to put Widener away. A jumper by Rob McPherson tied the game at 58-58 with 8:28 to play and, though Messiah lead by two or three possession until the final minutes, Widener stayed within striking distance.
 
Still, the Falcons' ability to pass into, through, and back out of the Widener zone kept them in front. The Falcons shot just under fifty percent from the field and tied a season-high with 25 assists, many the result of quick passing for open layups and perimeter jump shots.
 
McPherson led Widener with 25 points and Greg Lawson and Andrew Radomicki added 12 points and 10 points, respectively.
 
David Fernandez added nine points, seven rebounds, and six assists for Messiah, and Scott Bolen handed out five assists to go along with five points.
 
As mentioned, the win kept Messiah atop the Commonwealth; the Falcons will play at Alvernia University on Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. Messiah will clinch the top seed in the conference if they win, with a slew of tie-breaking scenarios also possible depending on the league's results.