Box Score

GRANTHAM, Pa. – Curtis McNeil (Alexandria, VA/St. Stephen's & St. Agnes) scored a game-high 19 points and Cody Bowers (Indiana, PA/Indiana) added a career-high 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting to lead Gettysburg past Messiah 60-50 in non-conference men's basketball action on Tuesday.

McNeil scored four of his points to start a 9-0 run that helped the Bullets (2-1) build a double-digit lead in the first half.  The junior guard then iced the victory with six consecutive free throws in the game's final 52 seconds.

Bowers surpassed his previous career-best point total (6) with eight points in the first half, then added a put-back and a clutch 3-pointer in the final minutes to key the win.

Larry Johnson led four Falcons in double figures with 12 points and also hauled in a team-best seven rebounds.  Zach Yoder, Matt Morgan and Ken Loyer each chipped in with 10 points.

Gettysburg got off to a quick start, scoring the game's first eight points on a 3-pointer from Terence Callahan (Bay Shore, NY/St. Anthony's), a basket and free throw from Jim Natale (Washington Crossing, PA/Council Rock) and a layup from Greg Schreiber (Mechanicsburg, PA/East Pennsboro).

Messiah (1-2) went on a 10-4 run to pull within 12-10 on two free throws by Eric Mindrebo at the 12:37 mark.  McNeil converted two free throws and scored on a fast-break layup before Bowers knocked down a pull-up jumper and his first of three 3-pointers on the night for a 21-10 Bullet lead with 9:03 left in the half.

Gettysburg took a 33-20 lead into the half and led by as many as 19 points before Messiah rallied to within 49-44 with 3:26 left following a breakaway layup by Johnson.

On the Bullets' next possession, McNeil's driving layup went out of bounds off a Falcon player and Bowers stuck a 3-pointer on the ensuing inbounds pass to restore Gettysburg's eight-point lead with 2:58 left in the game.

Callahan scored on a backdoor layup to make it 54-44 Bullets with 1:54 to play and McNeil went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line to seal the win.

Natale finished with eight points and six rebounds for Gettysburg.  The Bullet defense held Messiah to a 41.3 percent (19 for 46) shooting performance on the evening, including 1-for-9 from 3-point range.

Gettysburg returns to action on Monday, November 27 at home against York College.  Game time is 8 p.m.

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