THE FACTS
Gettysburg (5-6) 78, Husson (5-5) 77
What: Non-conference men's basketball game
When: Tuesday, Dec. 30
Where: Salem, Va.
THE SKINNY STORY
Gettysburg outscored Husson 17-5 over the game's final 5:46 to overcome a deficit as large as 11 and record a 78-77 win in the consolation game of the Cregger Invitational hosted by Roanoke.
THE LEADERS
•
Aidan Mess (Columbia, Md./Mt. St. Joseph) scored 20 points for the second straight game, tallying 21 that included the game-winning free throws to lead the Bullets and earn a spot on the all-tournament team. He rounded out his first career 20-point, 10-rebound game with 12 rebounds.
•
Ray Zamloot (Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell) matched Mess with a team-high 21 points that included hitting five 3-pointers.
FOR THE FOES
• Eric Ahlers led the Eagles with 25 points, including going 10-for-10 from the free-throw line.
THE REST OF THE STORY
• After a back-and-forth start to the game with neither team leading by more than four points, Ty Henke hit a 3-pointer for Husson to break a 15-all tie with 12:48 to play in the opening half and spark an 11-0 run over the next 1:47. Trailing 31-20, triples from
Caleb Gillus (Falls Church, Va./Sidwell Friends School [D.C.]) and
Malachi Briscoe (California, Md./St. Mary's Ryken) started a 10-2 counter that pulled Gettysburg within 33-30 with 7:32 on the clock. The Eagles pushed the lead back out to eight two
Ray Zamloot 3-pointers keyed a 10-0 run that gave the Bullets a 40-38 edge with 4:07 showing. The teams traded points the rest of the way with Connor Heald scoring in the final seconds to give Husson a slim 50-49 edge at the intermission.
• The back-and-forth continued to start the second half before an Andre McCauley jumper with 17:39 remaining ignited 14-2 run to turn a 53-52 deficit into a 66-55 lead just over six minutes later. The advantage remained in double figures until two
Aidan Mess free throws with 5:46 to play started the late Gettysburg rally. Zamloot followed with a 3-pointer on the next possession off a Mess feed. After Heald and Mess traded baskets, Mess hit two more from the charity stripe to get it to a one-possession game with 4:01 on the clock. Two Reese Craft (Downingtown, Pa./Devon Prep) layups after a pair of Gil Matondo free throws trimmed the deficit to 75-74 with 76 seconds remaining. A McCauley layup pushed the lead back to three but Gillus canned a pair of free throws with 33 ticks to return the deficit to one. Having to commit three fouls to reach the bonus, the Eagles eventually missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 21 seconds to play and Mess secured the rebound before a timeout to set up the final play with 15 seconds left. Mess got fouled on the play and sank both free throws with 10 seconds on the clock and the defense came away with one final stop for the win.
THE INSIDE STORY
• As a team, Gettysburg shot 17-for-22 (77.3 percent) from the free-throw line, including a 9-for-12 showing from
Aidan Mess.
•
Caleb Gillus finished with 11 points.
NEXT UP
Gettysburg returns to action at No. 19 York (Pa.) on Saturday. Game time is 3 p.m.
