Box Score GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Gettysburg College men's basketball team used a 19-0 run that spanned both halves to take control of the game en route to a 77-60 non-conference victory at Messiah College Wednesday evening.
The Bullets (6-1) – who wiped out an eight-point first-half deficit, extended their winning streak to six, the team's longest since the 2008-09 squad won eight in a row. Gettysburg also continued the program's best start since the 2007-08 team opened the year 8-1.
For the second game in a row, the Bullets had four starters reach double figures in scoring. Senior center
Kevin Gladstone (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) turned in an impressive all-around performance for the Orange and Blue, posting 18 points, seven rebounds, and a career-high nine assists. Junior guard
Pete Christ (Pittstown, N.J./Delaware Valley Regional) added 19 points and nine rebounds while staying hot from 3-point territory, nailing 4-of-5 shots from beyond the arc after going 6-for-10 in Saturday's win over Muhlenberg College.
Junior forward
Cody Kiefer (Gettysburg, Pa./Gettysburg) added 12 points and five rebounds for the Bullets while sophomore forward
Cam Stewart (Sydney, Australia/Newington College) contributed 10 points.
The Bullets finished the game with 24 assists on 29 field goals, equaling the team's highest assist total since an 83-42 win over Dickinson College on Feb. 17, 2010. Gettysburg also shot 12-for-25 from 3-point range, marking the team's best output from beyond the arc since making 12 in a 79-70 loss at Muhlenberg College on Jan. 14, 2012.
Micah Brown scored a game-high 20 points to lead Messiah (3-5).
The Falcons jumped to a 20-12 lead nine minutes into the game and led 27-20 with 6:17 remaining in the opening half. But that's when the Bullets embarked on their decisive run, which began with a 13-0 surge to end the period. Gladstone powered the spurt with eight points while sophomore guard
Matt England (Warrington, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep) added five as Gettysburg took a 33-27 advantage into the break.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Kiefer and England to begin the second half put the Bullets up 12 with 19:05 left, and the lead would never dip below eight the rest of the way. Gettysburg saw its lead balloon to 19 (54-35) with 13:26 left following a 15-4 run that included a trio of 3-pointers.
Messiah whittled the deficit down to eight (63-55) with 3:51 remaining, but Gettysburg promptly answered with a 10-0 run to put the game away. Gladstone capped the outburst with the final four points.
The Bullets take nine days off from competition before taking on Stockton University Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. in the first round of the Hood College Tournament.
