BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University men's basketball squad rallied from a three-point halftime deficit for an 81-78 win over Bryn Athyn College in the opening round of the 42nd Steel Club Classic Friday in Johnston Hall as the Greyhounds advance to the championship game. 

How It Happened

• The Lions scored the opening basket of the game while graduate student guard Danny Cooper drained a three-pointer for the Hounds' first points of the game for a 3-2 edge. Moravian tied the game on three occasions early in the half including at 12-12 on a lay-up from sophomore guard/forward Michael Leonardo at the 15:42 mark. Bryn Athyn pulled away by seven points at 23-16 before a 7-0 run from the Greyhounds knotted the contest again at 23-23 with 10:24 to play in the first half
• Moravian eventually retook a one-point lead at 28-27 on a lay-up from freshman forward Uma Kalu at the 7:20 mark. The Blue & Grey were up by a point again at 30-29 when Leonardo connected on a lay-up with 5:35 left in the half. However, the Lions went on a 10-2 run to pull back in front by seven at 39-32. The Hounds scored the final four points of the half to close the gap to 39-36 at the intermission
• Bryn Athyn netted the first two baskets of the second half to quickly get back in front by seven points at 43-36, but Moravian answered with a 10-0 run to take a 46-43 edge after a three-pointer by Leonardo at the 15:06 mark. The Lions moved back ahead at 49-48 while the Greyhounds led 52-51 after a jumper from Cooper with 12:16 on the clock. Bryn Athyn then ran off eight straight points to take another seven-point edge at 59-52 with 11:03 remaining
• Moravian closed within a point at 61-60 on a lay-up by Kalu, but the Lions countered and went up 65-60. The Greyhounds countered with an 11-0 run, taking the lead for good at 66-65 on a lay-up from junior forward Mike DiPietro at 7:34 and stretching the edge to 71-65 on three-pointer from Cooper with 5:39 remaining. The Hounds pushed the end to 11 points at 79-68 on another three-pointer by Cooper at the 3:24 mark. Moravian's final basket was a lay-up from freshman forward Marquis Ratcliff with 2:31 to play as the Lions scored the final seven points of the game to make it a one possession contest at the end

Inside the Numbers

• Moravian had four players in double figures led by Ratcliff, who scored a team-high 23 points, tying his career high, to go along with eight rebounds, three steals and a pair of blocked shots. Cooper tossed in 14 points while dishing out seven assists and grabbing four boards, and freshman guard Porter Kelly had 13 points and three rebounds
• Leonardo had 10 points, five rebounds and a career-high seven assists in his first career start while Kalu and junior guard C.J. Weber both tossed in six points with Weber adding a pair of assists
• DiPietro finished with five points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals while junior guard Alex Dietz recorded four points and three assists
• The Greyhounds shot 31-of-65 from the floor, 12-for-33 on three-pointers and 7-of-11 at the foul line in the game
• The Blue & Grey also had a 35-30 edge in rebounds in the victory 

Up Next for the Greyhounds

• Saturday, December 31 vs. York College of Pennsylvania in 42nd Steel Club Classic Championship Game, 5:30 p.m.
• Saturday, January 7 at Elizabethtown College, 4:00 p.m.