FAIRMONT, W.Va. - Millersville scored the game's first points 51 seconds in and led for the next 39:05. But with four seconds to play, Fairmont State's Cole VonHandorf hit a runner off a missed 3-pointer for an 87-86 lead and victory over the visiting Marauders. 

Millersville led by as many as 18 points in the first half, but went into the road game against a team that reached the NCAA Tournament last season without the services of starters Justin Nwosu and Caden Najdawi and were further decimated late because of foul trouble. Starters James Sullivan and D'Marco Suggs as well as sixth man Brandon Craig fouled out, and point guard Jaden Faulkner was limited to 10 minutes while playing with four fouls in the second half. Millersville was whistled for 28 fouls, and Fairmont State knocked down 24-of-28 from the line.

Five Marauders scored in double figures. Leading the group was junior newcomer Khari Williams, who scored 21 of his 23 in the first half and played all 40 minutes. VonHandorf scored a game-high 24 points

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Millersville raced to a 21-4 lead in the opening five minutes, forcing six turnovers and six missed shots while hitting three triples on the offensive end. But following a timeout by Fairmont State, the up-tempo game the Marauders had set in motion turned into a crawl. The Marauders were whistled for 13 fouls in the final 15 minutes of the half and slowly Fairmont State crept back in the game. In the final 4:35 of the first half, Fairmont State reduced a 14-point deficit to seven at the break by scoring eight of its 17 points in that span at the line. 
• Still, Millersville built a 73-59 lead with 11:19 to play following a 3-pointer from Ryan Davis and a pair of foul shots from Mekhi Hendricks. But with 7:16 to play, Ilisia Washington converted a 3-point play and splashed a 3-pointer as part of an 11-2 run in a mere two minutes of game time. During that stretch, Sullivan and Suggs fouled out. The Marauders' lead dwindled to two points three times, but jumped back to four when Hendricks hit a floater off the glass with 2:20 to play. Millersville got a defensive stop and took time off the clock but a rushed Williams' 3-pointer to beat the shot clock missed. At the other end, Fairmont State's Kenzie Melko hit a three from the top of the key to pull within 86-85. The Marauders once again spread the floor and drained the shot clock, but Faulkner's long three missed. With eight seconds left, VonHandorf took a three from the right corner and the high rebound was pulled in by Dale Bonner. He fed a cutting VanHandorf who banked home the game-winner. Millersville's last hope went to Williams, who took the inbounds pass in the backcourt, raced ahead and took a leaning 3-pointer as time expired. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Millersville shot 17-of-34 in the first half but 10-of-26 in the second. Millersville went 5-of-11 from three in the first half but 4-of-17 in the second. Millersville shot 23-of-25 from the line. 
• Fairmont State made all 12 free throw attempts in the second half and shot 15-of-29 (.517) from the field and 4-of-9 (.444) from three in the second. 
• Behind Williams' 23, Sullivan scored 10 of his 16 in the second half.  He also tallied six steals. Redshirt freshman Ryan Davis scored 15 on 6-of-9 shooting and added six rebounds, two blocks and a steal in his collegiate debut. Hendricks totaled 12 points, five rebounds and four assists in his first career start. Faulkner totaled 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists. 

POSTGAME REACTION FROM COACH CASEY STITZEL
• Thoughts on the team's performance: "Down a few guys, I thought we played great. When you have those guys out to start and you get in foul trouble it is tough. We lost Sullivan, who was playing a great second half, D'Marco giving great minutes and Brandon (Craig) was giving great minutes off the bench. Jaden only played something like 10 minutes in the second half. We would have loved to have had all our horses especially with the game so close. But it's a learning experience and something our guys can build on and take into the next 27 games."  
• On match-up problems late in the game: "With players out and the small lineups we had to use, we couldn't go to our sets. Fairmont State was playing so aggressive that we were scoring at will by spreading them out, penetrating and kicking. They did a good job contesting some shots, but we had such a small lineup there wasn't much we could do. We were up the whole game because we spread them out so we didn't want to reinvent the wheel late. I think late, the movement off the ball lacked a little because we got tired."
• On the debut of Khari Williams: "Khari is as talented as anyone in our league. He is coming along, trying to learn our system. He is going to be a really good player. He's exactly what we needed to bring in. We asked a lot of him tonight: score the ball and guard the best player on the other team. He played the whole game but we'd like to get his minutes to 31 or 32. Some of those shots he took late came up a little short because his legs were tired. But when we get the full lineup that won't effect him as much."
• On the debut of Ryan Davis: "Ryan is the surprise of the preseason. We knew he was talented but didn't think he'd play this well right away. He stretched the defense, made some threes, defended their five, rebounded. If he keeps that up, and when we get our guys back, our front court is going to be in great shape moving forward."

NOTES
• Friday's game was the second time in three seasons that Millersville has played at Fairmont State on the opening weekend. Fairmont has won both games by a total of four points. 
• Millersville is 1-7 in its last eight season openers. 
• Like Fairmont State, Saturday's opponent, Notre Dame College, also reached the NCAA Atlantic Regional in 2018-19. Notre Dame College went 23-9 last season and opened 2019-20 with an exhibition win over Division I Cleveland State and a 78-76 loss to Slippery Rock Friday. 

UP NEXT
• Millersville stays in Fairmont and plays Notre Dame College Saturday at 4 p.m.