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Men's Basketball in NCAA Playoffs

By: Bryn Swartz

Posted: 2/25/10

With the 2010 regular season officially over, the Falcons' men's basketball team has clinched a playoff berth and a third place finish in the Commonwealth Conference.

Coach Rick Van Pelt led the Falcons to a Commonwealth Conference championship for the first time in the 2008-2009 season. This season the Falcons boasted a 16-8 record, including a 9-5 mark in the conference. After beginning the year with losses in three of its first four conference matchups, the Falcons won 8 of their last 10 in conference play, including five wins by double-digits. They also overcame a slow start to the season, with just 4 wins in their first 8 games, to finish as one of the hottest teams in the conference, thanks to wins in 12 of their last 16 games.

The Falcons' biggest win came at home on February 3rd, against their rival Elizabethtown. Junior Tyler Ritzman concluded arguably one of the greatest games in the history of Messiah College basketball with a come-from-behind, game-winning, three-pointer with just a second to play in regulation. The shot gave the Falcons a 61-60 win. Ritzman's shot was his second last-second game-winning score of the season. Two months earlier, he connected on a game-winning basket with one second remaining to break a 55-55 tie with Williamson Trade School.

The leading scorer for the Falcons is senior guard Jamie Yoder, who has averaged 15.3 points per game this season. Freshman guard Chris Yoder (9.9) and senior guard Kyle Snyder (9.4) are averaging close to double-digits per game, while junior guard Josh Hartman (8.6) and junior center Colton Reitz (8.4) have been scoring threats. Snyder is also the team's leading rebounder (9.4 per game), while Jamie Yoder also reached triple-digit figures.

Senior forward Andy Hawk, a two-time All-Conference second team selection, was sidelined for the year with an injury. He redshirted and will be back next season.

The Falcons will begin postseason play on Wednesday, February 24, at Albright College, and will play the team again for the second straight game. The Falcons avenged an 11-point loss at home to Albright on December 2nd by closing out the season with an impressive 11-point win on the road.