GETTYSBURG, PA. --- Zach Yoder scored 30 points – including the 1,000th of his career – and David Greenplate added 22 points and nine rebounds to lead Messiah past Gettysburg, 73-71, in non-conference action on Tuesday.  With the loss, the Bullets fell to 2-1.

     Bill Davidson (Lebanon, PA/Annville-Cleona) scored a team-high 24 points for Gettysburg, which saw its winning streak against the Falcons snapped at 10 games.  Messiah hadn't defeated the Bullets since a 69-67 victory during the 1983-84 season.

     Ryan Napp added 16 points in the loss for Gettysburg while teammate Greg Schreiber (Mechanicsburg, PA/East Pennsboro) tallied 11 points.  After shooting 53.3 percent from the floor in their first two games, the Bullets were held to a 24-for-58 (41.4 percent) field-goal shooting performance by Messiah.

     Yoder shot 10-for-12 from the floor on the evening, including 5-for-7 from behind the three-point line.  The junior all-conference guard surpassed the 1,000 career point mark in the first half and finished the game with 1,021 career points in barely over two full seasons.

     After taking a 34-29 lead into the locker room, Messiah pushed its advantage to as many as 14 points before the Bullets came storming back to make it a game.

     Trailing 53-39 with 13:19 remaining, Gettysburg went on a 19-5 run over the next six minutes to pull even at 58 with 6:36 left in regulation.  Schreiber and Napp keyed the run with five points apiece.  Jim Natale tied the contest with a jumper and two free throws on consecutive possessions.

     A jumper by Greenplate put Messiah back on top at 60-58, but Davidson drilled a pair of threes to make it 64-60 Bullets with five minutes left.

     Gettysburg stretched the lead to 69-62 with 3:39 remaining, but Messiah scored the next seven points on a layup by Mike Brice, a three-pointer from Greenplate and two Yoder free throws to tie the game at 69.

     After Schreiber converted one of two free throws, Greenplate was fouled in the act of shooting a three and buried all three charity tosses to put Messiah on top for good at 72-70.

     The teams exchanged free throws in the final minute to make it 73-71 in favor of Messiah.

     Gettysburg had the game's final possession, but Terence Callahan's runner in the lane wouldn't fall and Greenplate snared the rebound as the buzzer sounded.

     Messiah's Matt Morgan added 11 first-half points in the win while teammate Larry Johnson dished out a team-best six assists.  Davidson, who is averaging 21.7 points per game in his first three games this season, also led the Bullets with seven rebounds.

     The loss also slowed the Bullets' march toward the program's 1,000th all-time victory.  Gettysburg needs six more wins to reach the milestone.

     The Bullets return to action on Monday, November 29 at York College.  Game time is 8 p.m.
 
 

Messiah (73)
Johnson 1-3 4-6 6, Greenplate 8-12 5-6 22, Morgan 4-7 2-2 11, Yoder 10-12 5-6 30, Loyer 0-2 0-0 0, Butt 0-0 0-0 0, Walsh 0-0 0-0 0, Brice 1-6 2-2 4, Anselmo 0-0 0-0 0, Lauer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 24-42 18-22 73.

Gettysburg (71)
Pfeil 1-3 0-0 2, Davidson 9-18 1-2 24, Schreiber 3-6 3-6 11, Callahan 2-5 1-2 5, Napp 6-14 0-0 16, McNeil 2-7 3-3 7, Natale 1-4 4-5 6, Monroe 0-0 0-0 0, Boyle 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 24-58 12-18 71.

Three-pointers: Messiah 7-13 (Greenplate 1-2, Morgan 1-1, Yoder 5-7, Loyer 0-2, Brice 0-1), Gettysburg 11-33 (Pfeil 0-2, Davidson 5-9, Schreiber 2-3, Callahan 0-1, Napp 4-12, McNeil 0-4, Natale 0-1, Boyle 0-1). Rebounds: Messiah 31 (Greenplate 9), Gettysburg 25 (Davidson 7). Assists: Messiah 14 (Johnson 6), Gettysburg 10 (Schreiber, Callahan, McNeil 2). Turnovers: Messiah 18, Gettysburg 9. Blocked Shots: Messiah 3 (Johnson, Greenplate, Yoder 1), Gettysburg 4 (Schreiber 3). Steals: Messiah 2 (Johnson, Yoder), Gettysburg 7 (Davidson, Schreiber 2). Personal Fouls: Messiah 19, Gettysburg 24.  Technical Fouls: None. Attendance: 150.