GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico – Marietta College opened the Puerto Rico Classic with a 76-67 win over Messiah University Tuesday (Dec. 19) afternoon. The Pioneers improve to 8-1 on the season, while Messiah falls to 3-7 overall.
 
After trading small leads through the early minutes of the game, David Sanford converted one of two free theows to tie the game, 13-13, at the 13:39 mark. The Falcons scored the next eight points building the first significant lead of the game. Messiah pushed the margin to nine points on a layup from Dylan Cuperus midway through the period to make it 25-16.
 
Jac Alexander triggered an 11-0 Pioneer run with six straight points. Jack Main drained a three-pointer and Sanford hit a jumper to give Marietta a 27-25 lead with 6:20 left in the first half.
 
A Messiah layup from Caleb Thompson tied the game, 29-29, with five minutes left on the clock. Once again Marietta went on a run to open its biggest lead of the half. A 13-4 spurt gave the Pioneers a nine-point lead, 42-33, with 64 seconds remaining in the first half. Marietta big man Frank Waganfeald capped the drive with one of his two three-pointers in the game. The Pioneers led 42-34 at halftime.
 
Marietta pushed its advantage to 12 points, 52-40, in the opening minutes of the second half. Jayden Bradshaw hit a three-pointer at the 14:29 mark to give the Pioneers the 12-point lead.
 
Over the next three-plus minutes the Falcons battled back to grab the lead. Messiah used a 16-2 run to take a two-point lead, 56-54, with 11 minutes left in the game. A three-pointer from Christian Jackson capped the run for the Falcons.
 
A layup from Alexander and a three-pointer and layup from Waganfeald put Marietta back in front for good. The Pioneers would go on a 17-2 run to take control of the game and go back on top by 13 points, 71-58, with just under four minutes left on the clock.
 
Messiah got a layup from Cole Fisher in the final seconds cutting the final margin to nine points, 76-67.
 
Alexander and De'Ovion Price led the Pioneers with 13 points apiece. Waganfeald added 10 points, while Main had seven points and a game-high nine rebounds.
 
Messiah had five players finish in double figures. Fisher, Cuperus, and Jackson each scored 11 points. Johnny McBride and Thompson finished with 10 points each.
 
Marietta will close out play in Puerto Rico against Lancaster Bible College on Wednesday (Dec. 20). Tip-off is set for 1:30 p.m. (EST).