Box Score
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Curtis McNeil (Alexandria,
VA/St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes) scored 18 of his
29 points before halftime as Gettysburg built a 24-point first-half
lead and cruised to a 92-79 win over Messiah in non-conference
men’s basketball action on Tuesday.
McNeil, who shot only 11-for-30 in the
season’s first two games, connected on 9 of 13 shots against
the Falcons, including four of his career-high seven 3-pointers
in the game’s first 9 minutes, 58 seconds to help the Bullets
build a 33-10 lead.
Terence Callahan (Bay Shore, NY/St.
Anthony’s) added 16 points, six rebounds and a career-high
eight assists for Gettysburg, which opened its season at 3-0
for the first time since 1997. Freshman David
Glaser (West Chester, PA/Malvern Prep) chipped in
with 12 points, the first double-digit performance of his
collegiate career.
Pete Godino scored 13 of
his team-high 18 points in the second half to help Messiah
(0-2) rally to within 11 points on two occasions. Kenny
Loyer added 17 points in the loss while Greg
Bernhardt also reached double digits with 12.
The Falcons took their final lead at
5-3 on a pair of Godino free throws with only 2:22 gone in
the game before the Bullets answered with 28 of the next 35
points to take charge.
McNeil scored eight points in a 13-3
burst that gave the Bullets a 16-7 lead with 14:22 remaining
in the first half.
Loyer answered with a trey to pull Messiah
within six, but McNeil scored seven more points and Callahan
added a three-pointer and a three-point play to fuel a 17-0
run in just 3 minutes, 21 seconds and make it 33-10 with 10:02
left before the break.
Loyer scored with 8:53 remaining to snap
the run, but Callahan drilled a three and Glaser followed
with a layup to give Gettysburg a 40-16 lead – its largest
of the half – at the 6:49 mark.
The Bullets closed out the half with
a 50-28 edge and led by as many as 27 points early in the
second half before the Falcons rallied.
Loyer converted a three-point play and
knocked down his second trey of the game to pull within 63-47
with 12:54 left. Messiah trailed 77-66 with 5:14 remaining,
but Brad Billmeier (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley)
was fouled rebounding a Callahan missed three and converted
one of two free throws to preserve the double-digit lead.
Billmeier pulled down a career-high six
rebounds on the night while Callahan added four steals to
his strong all-around showing. Jim Natale (Washington
Crossing, PA/Council Rock) chipped in with eight points,
four rebounds and four assists.
Gettysburg’s 92-point total was the program’s
highest since a 101-91 win at Dickinson on Feb. 19, 2000.
The Bullets shot 50.0 percent (13-for-26) from three-point
range for the game.
Gettysburg returns to action on Monday
at Arcadia. Game time is 7 p.m.
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