MEADVILLE, Pa. – Visiting Stevenson University shot 64 percent from the floor, including a 72 percent mark in the second half, to hand the Gators an 83-72 defeat in Allegheny's final non-conference game of the 2014-15 campaign.

The Mustangs (9-2), who also connected on 10 of 15 three-point attempts, came back from a two-point halftime deficit by outscoring the Gators (5-5) 48-35 over the game's final 20 minutes to extend their road winning streak to seven games.

Allegheny, which led for 23 of the game's first 24 minutes, had three players score in double-figures, as senior Josh Valentic and sophomore Evan Zabriski each finished with 18 points, and junior Chris Milon a season-high 15.  Junior Evan Schweitzer also turned in a strong effort, scoring nine points while also leading the Gators with five assists and four steals.

Coming off of a three-week layoff, the Gators got off to a strong start, jumping out to a 9-5 lead on a driving baseline dunk by Zabriski just over five minutes into the first half.  Stevenson rallied to tie the game at 13 three minutes later, but four straight points from Milon pushed the Gator advantage back up to 17-13 with 10:30 left in the half.
The Mustangs came back once again to pull to within one, but Allegheny countered, and after four more Milon points and a Schweitzer mid-range jumper, the Gators grabbed their largest lead of the half, 26-20, with 5:27 remaining.

Stevenson then used the three-ball to close the gap, with Colby Giacubeno hitting a pair of trifectas in a two-minute span to spur a 12-6 Mustang run and tie the game at 32 with 1:47 left in the half.  After Zabriski hit a layup with just over a minute remaining, the Gators looked poised to take the momentum into the half, as Conor Macomber connected on a long three-pointer with five seconds left to push the advantage back up to 37-32.  However, it was Stevenson that went into the locker room with a flourish, as Sean Farr beat the halftime buzzer with a long three-pointer from the left wing to cut the score to 37-35.

The offenses were on display over the first 20 minutes of play, as Allegheny shot 52 percent (14-for-27) and Stevenson 54 percent (13-for-24) from the field, with the Mustangs going 4-for-6 from long range.

Stevenson continued to showcase its long distance prowess to open the second half, as the Mustangs scored on six of their first eight possessions, including a trio of three-pointers, to embark on a 16-8 run and take a 51-45 lead with 13:43 left in regulation.   The lead would eventually swell into double-digits, 61-50, with nine minutes left, but Allegheny temporarily halted its cold skid, using three-pointers by Zabriski and Donte Wallette to close the gap to 61-56 with nine minutes to play.

The shooting exhibition would continue, as Giacubeno quickly answered with two more treys to put the Mustangs in front 67-56 with 7:12 remaining, before Valentic countered with two long balls of his own three minutes later to pace a quick 10-4 Gator run that cut the gap to 71-66 with 4:11 to go.

The teams would trade baskets over the next few minutes, with Milon's layup at the two-minute mark making the score 75-70, but it was as close as the Gators would get.  Stevenson's 10th three-pointer of the night upped its lead to 78-70 with 1:23 to go, and the Mustangs would then ice the game with a trio of free throws over the final 40 seconds to hand the Gators their second straight defeat.

Stevenson connected on 18 of its 25 attempts from the field over the second half, including a 6-for-9 showing from behind the three-point line.  While they also connected on six treys over the final 20 minutes, the Gators shot just 41 percent (10-for-24) in the deciding half.

The Mustangs were led on the scoresheet by Giacubeno, who scored a game-high 20 points, bolstered by his 5-for-6 effort from behind the arc.  He was one of four Stevenson players in double-figures, joined by Erik Fisher (17 points), Farr (14), and Darius Walker (10).

Allegheny will return to action with a two-game road weekend road swing through the state of Indiana, beginning with Saturday's 4 p.m. tilt at North Coast Athletic Conference rival DePauw.