OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Senior Erik Fisher totaled 25 points and nine rebounds while classmate Christian Roberts recorded 21 as the Stevenson University men's basketball team moved past Messiah College for a 71-68 MAC Commonwealth victory Thursday night at Owings Mills Gymnasium.

Fisher finished 9-17 from the floor to lead Stevenson (7-11, 5-4 MAC Commonwealth) to its second straight victory and third in four outings.  Roberts was 7-14 from the floor and 4-8 from three-point land while also making all three of his free throws.  Junior Ryan Hill finished with nine points and seven rebounds, while sophomore Sean Mayberry knocked down a pair of three pointers in the second half and registered eight points and 12 rebounds.

Messiah (5-13, 2-7 MAC Commonwealth) was led by Josh Clippinger's 19 points on 8-16 shooting.  Neil Murren knocked down a pair of three-pointers and recorded 13 points, while Jimmy Brackett added 12 points off the bench.

In a game that saw six ties and seven lead changes, a three by Mayberry with 4:48 to go gave Stevenson a 59-58 lead.  Brackett responded with a layup 17 seconds later to give Messiah a one-point cushion, but a tip-in by senior Joe Kiely with 3:55 left put the Mustangs back on top.  A basket by Fisher with 3:09 left put Stevenson up three, 63-60.

Clippinger forced the sixth and final tie with a conventional three-point play with 2:43 left to knot the game at 63.  Roberts gave the Mustangs the lead for good with a jumper at the 2:23 mark, and after an empty Falcon possession, Fisher converted a layup with 1:36 to go to make it 67-63.  Messiah cut the lead to one on a Geoff Boyle putback of his own missed free throw to make it 67-66 with 1:16 to go.

Hill was fouled going to the basket with 48.3 seconds left and sank a pair of free throws to make it a 69-66 ballgame.  On the other end, Boyle was fouled and made a pair with 32 seconds to go to again make it a one-point game. Roberts was fouled with just under 21 seconds left and made both on a one-and-one to make it 71-68.  Messiah got two looks at a game-tying three on its last possession, but both were off the mark.

After the game was tied 31-31 at halftime, Messiah used an early 7-0 spurt to take a 42-36 lead with 15:49 to go.  The Falcon lead fluctuated between three and six until a 6-0 spurt capped by a Mayberry three as the shot clock expired with 7:20 remaining put Stevenson on top 54-52. 

Two triples by Fisher and one by Roberts on Stevenson's first three possessions of the game gave the Mustangs an early 9-4 lead.  The hosts pushed the lead to 11, 18-7, on a conventional three-point play by Hill at the 12:44 mark.  Stevenson led 28-18 with 8:01 to go in the first half before the Falcons used a 9-1 run to pull within two, 29-27, with 4:08 to go.  The two teams entered the locker room tied 31-31 after Stevenson mustered just one field goal over the final eight minutes of the frame.

The Mustangs knocked down eight of their 18 three-point attempts to shoot a season-high 44.4% behind the arc while shooting 43.3% from the floor.  Messiah shot an identical 43.3% (26-60), but was 6-19 from long range.  Stevenson finished 11-14 from the free throw line while the Falcons were 10-11, and the hosts held a 36-31 rebound advantage.  The Mustangs also improved to 5-1 this season in games decided by five or fewer points

Stevenson returns to action Saturday afternoon when it travels to Arcadia for a 3:00 MAC Commonwealth contest.