Second Half Breakdowns Lead to Season Opening Loss for Devils

A slim halftime lead quickly turned into a large deficit as Cheyney University took advantage of  a youthful Devils men's basketball squad as the Wolves handed the University of the Sciences a 73-57 season opening loss at cope Hall in Cheyney Pennsylvania Saturday afternoon. 

Senior Adewale Adefemi recorded a double-double grabbing ten rebounds and scoring 11 points and Myer Messinger added 12 points and eight rebounds.   Will Kernan added nine points, nine rebounds, five assists and four steals and freshman Tyrone Mann-Barnes also scored nine points. The Devils had two freshman (Mann-Barnes and Patrick Connaghan) and a sophomore (Kernan) in their starting lineup.

Cheyney placed four players in double figures led by Sharif Bray's 18 points.   Amarildo Matos had 17 points and a team high seven rebounds.   Rob Townsend and David Burton joined Bray and Matos in double figures with 13 and 11 points respectively. 

Sciences battled and clawed their way to a two-point halftime lead, 32-30.  The opening 20 minutes saw eight ties and ten lead changes with the last coming on Messinger's basket in the final few seconds of the period. Messinger and Mann-Barnes each had eight points in the period to pace the Devils. 

The second half, however was another story as the Devils shooting suddenly went cold and their defense starting allowing easy buckets by the host team.   Two lead changes in the first 1:45 left the Devils still clinging to a one-point lead, 36-35 before the Wolves used a 12-2 spurt to take a nine point lead 47-38 with 13:22 left.   Both Sciences points came on free throws as the Devils managed just three shots while turning the ball over five times. Cheyney scored off three of those five possessions. 

Two Messinger free throws and a 'trey' by Kernan cut the lead back down to four 47-43 at the 12:18 mark before the Wolves ran off 15 straight points to increase their lead to a 19-point bulge, 62-43 with 7:50 left.   Kernan's layup at the 7:37 mark broke the streak and was only the Devils second basket over a 10:38 stretch.    A pair of free throws from Henry Messinger shaved another two points off the lead, making the score 62-47 around the seven minute mark but this was as close as the Devils would come as Cheyney maintained their double digit advantage the rest of the way, cruising to a 16-point win. 

For the game the Devils shot 37% (20-54) which included an 8-for-25 second half effort.  Cheyney managed just one more field goal (21) while shooting 41.2% (21-51).  The Wolves held a big advantage form long range, nailing 12 three-pointers to the Devils four.  This coupled with the Devils inability to make free throws (13-26 for the game) negated a 44-32 advantage on the glass.  Cheyney dished out 16 assists while committing just 14 turnovers while USciences had 17 turnovers and just 12 assists. 

The Devils return to action on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 when they host West Chester University at the Bobby Morgan Arena.   Tip off is set for 8:00 p.m.