GRANTHAM, PA – Occasionally, history has a way of repeating itself and in a way, the Valley Forge men's basketball team's first half of the season has been a carbon copy of the previous season.  On Saturday (Dec. 11), the Patriots were able to round out the semester the same way they did a year ago, by winning Messiah College's invitational tournament.

The Patriots claimed first place by defeating the tournament host, Messiah College, in the championship round.  In a back and forth contest that saw seven ties and 11 lead changes, the Patriots were able to hold a slight lead down the stretch, helping them to secure the 62-57 victory.

Messiah College's David Fernandez was a handful for the Patriots.  The standout freshman tallied 21 points to lead all scorers.  Fernandez had 15 points by half-time.

Both teams finished with exact same shooting percentage (40.4%), as both teams shot 21-for-52 from the floor.  The free-throw line is where the Patriots gained their edge.  The Patriots made five more free-throws (16-for-23) than Messiah College (11-for-13), giving them the 5-point advantage for the win.

Junior Justin Kinsey earned team-highs in points (15) and rebounds (9) for the Patriots.

Sophomore Donnell Davis earned 10 points and three assists.

Sophomore Steve Sims notched three steals.

The Patriots ended the first semester of play with a 10-game win streak, a stretch that is very reminiscent of a year ago, when they went on a 9-1 tear to finish 10-3 at the break.  Currently, the 2010-2011 squad has an 11-3 overall record.

At the conclusion of the Messiah contest, Valley Forge's Justin Kinsey and Latrell Alford were named to the Homewood Suites by Hilton All-Tournament team.  Kinsey was named the tournament's most valuable player.