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GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Senior guard Jamie Yoder scored a game-high 25 points and Messiah College spoiled Gettysburg's season opener, defeating the Bullets 59-46 in the first round of the Days Inn Tip-Off Tournament Friday evening in Bream Gymnasium.

The Falcons (2-0) handed Gettysburg its first opening-round loss since 2006 while moving on to Saturday's tournament championship game to face Wittenberg University, a 70-45 winner over Catholic University in the nightcap. The Bullets, who had won the previous two Days Inn Tournament titles, will face Catholic in the consolation game at 2 p.m. The championship game will follow at 4 p.m.

Yoder shot 9-for-17 and was 4-for-7 from three-point range. Senior guard Kyle Snyder added nine rebounds for the Falcons while junior guard Tyler Ritzman contributed 10 points off the bench. Junior guard Trey Rizman dished out four assists.

The Bullets were led by junior forward Kevin Kennedy (Gaithersburg, Md./Quince Orchard), who tied career-highs of 14 points, nine rebounds, and three blocked shots. Senior guard Andrew Bohan (Smithsburg, Md./Smithsburg) and junior guard Paul Crone (Braddock Heights, Md./Middletown) tossed in eight points apiece while senior guard Brendan Hager (Berwyn, Pa./Conestoga) passed out five assists.

The Falcons trailed just once, when Kennedy drilled a three-pointer with 14:54 left in the opening half to make it 7-6. However, Messiah ran off an 11-0 run to go up by double digits (17-7) with 10:08 left.

The visitors pushed their advantage to as much as 14 (23-9) with 6:27 showing in the opening period, but the Bullets knocked down a pair of three-pointers at the end of the half to cut the deficit to six. Crone connected from downtown with 54 seconds left before Kennedy buried a trey from the left corner just before the buzzer to make it a 28-22 game at the half.

Messiah enjoyed its biggest lead of the night when freshman guard Chris Yoder converted a conventional three-point play with 14:20 left, giving his team a 42-27 lead. However, the Bullets chipped away and pulled to within seven (49-42) with 7:34 to go after a three-pointer from freshman guard Larry Geedey (Elverson, Pa./Twin Valley). But the Falcons scored the next four points and held the Bullets to four free throws the rest of the way.

Both teams struggled with their shooting, as Messiah finished 38 percent from the field while the Bullets shot 33 percent. The Falcons out-rebounded Gettysburg 35-27.