Devils Rally to Upset Lightning

Solid defense and wise decision making won out as the University of the Sciences men's basketball team upset first place Goldey-Beacom College Thursday night, 58-54 at the Bobby Morgan arena in Philadelphia. 

The Devils improve to 9-8 overall and 5-6 in Central Atlantic Collegiate conference games.  The Lightning fall to 13-8 overall and 8-3 in league play.  This is the Devils first win over the Lightning in their last six games against their southern division rival with Sciences last winning on February 2, 2008. (59-58 in Delaware). 

For the sixth time this season both Devils big men Adewale Adefemi (Winslow Township HS/Chesilhurst, N.J.) and Myer Messinger (Dallas Area HS/Trucksville, Pa.) recorded double-doubles in the same game.  Adefemi led all scorers with 20 points (7-13 FG, 6-12FT) while grabbing a team-high 13 rebounds.   It was 'Wale's ninth double-double on the season.  Messinger added 19 points (6-12 FT, 7-8 FT) while pulling down 10 caroms.    Adefemi added two blocks and three steals while William Kernan (The Lawrenceville School/Medford, N.J.) led the Devils with four assists. 

Terrance Parkes led the Lightning with 14 points (5-13 FG, 4-6 FT) and 14 rebounds.  Sam McDuffie came off the bench to score 11 points.  Azeez Ellegood had four assists.  

Sciences controlled the tempo for the first 15 minutes of play, leading by as many as nine points before a three-pointer from McDuffie gave the Lightning their first lead 22-20 at the 5:48 mark.  Messinger put the Devils back on top 23-22 before the Lightning closed out the half with a 6-0 run to lead 28-23 at the break. 

GBC led by six on two occasions in the opening minutes of the second half  and held a 34-28 lead before a free throw from Adefemi, a traditional three-point play from Tyrone Mann-Barnes (Collingswood HS/Woodlynne, N.J.)  and a layup from Messinger knotted the score at 34-all with 14:41 left.   The lead changed hands twice over the next 4:15 until an 8-3 run by the Devils gave the hosts a five point lead 48-43 with 7:06 left.   The Lightning struck back with eight straight points to take a 51-48 lead with 5:27 left.  Neither team scored until Adefemi had a layup at the 2:26 mark, pulling the Devils within one, 51-50.  after a defensive hold, Sciences wisely used the clock, running down to under ten seconds when Mann-Barnes nailed a step-back three-pointer (his only trey of the game) to put the Devils back on top 53-51 with 1:25 left.    Another defensive stop and Messinger was subsequently fouled.  He calmly sank two free throws to boost Sciences lead to four 55-51.  Jon Crawford then nailed a three point field goal from the left baseline with 35.9 seconds to make it a one-point game 55-54.   Messinger added a free throw to put the Devils back up by two 56-54 with 32 seconds left.  The Devils got another defensive stop forcing McDuffie to turn the ball over.  The Devils had a fast break and an open layup but Mann-Barnes wisely pulled the ball back out to kill some clock before finding Messinger wide open with nobody defending him under the basket for an easy layup with 5.1 seconds to go, giving the Devils a 58-54 lead.  A last second shot by the Lightning fell short and the Devils held on for the win. 

Neither team shot well with the Devils mustering up the better percentage 38.5% to 31.0%.   Sciences made just one of nine three-point attempts to GBC's 6-22.  The devils held a big advantage on the glass, outrebounding the Lightning 51-32 which offset 18 turnovers and another sub-par free throw adventure (17-31, 54.8%).  The Lightning connected on 12 of 18 free throws while committing just 12 turnovers. 

The men's basketball team is back in action on Saturday, February 5, 2011 when they host Concordia College at the Bobby Morgan Arena.  After the women's game and prior to the men's game, there will be a ceremony honoring the men's athletic program for winning the CACC Men's sportsmanship Award for 2009-2010.  The men will then tip off at approximately 3:30 p.m.