MEADVILLE, Pa. – Despite out-scoring Oberlin, 44-24 in the paint, the Allegheny women's basketball squad was unable to complete a last-minute comeback in a close, 76-74 loss to Oberlin on Saturday at the David V. Wise Center.

Junior Jessica Mrdjenovich led the Allegheny scoring contingent for the second consecutive game, scoring  27 points, her second highest total of the season and one shy of her career-high, on 11-of-22 shooting from the field and a 4-of-8 performance from three-point range.  Three Gators finished in double digits, as junior Emma Pellicano fell two boards shy of a double double with 16 points and eight rebounds, while senior Kendall Hoffman logged an impressive stat line with 10 points, six rebounds, a team-high two blocks and a steal.

The Gators fell victim to an efficient Yeowomen offense, as Oberlin shot 43.3 percent from the floor while adding 10 three-pointers, including a 7-of-11 performance from distance by Christina Marquette, who closed the contest with a game-high 31 points.  Despite the sharpshooting Yeowomen, Allegheny out-rebounded Oberlin, 42-35, but struggled from distance, shooting 6-of-16 from beyond the arc while committing 18 turnovers.

In the opening half, the two squads battled to a 6-6 tie with 17:22 remaining before the Oberlin guards started to gain momentum.  A 10-2 run by Oberlin put the Yeowomen up, 16-10, with 10:39 left before an 11-2 run increased the lead to double-digits at 27-14.  Allegheny reduced the lead to five with a 11-3 run over 3:30 of game time, capped by a layup by Mrdjenovich that sliced the Oberlin advantage to 30-25 with 3:33 remaining.

The Yeowomen out-scored the Gators, 13-1, over the remaining duration of the first half, taking a 43-26 lead into the break.

Oberlin continued to hold a double-digit lead for the first nine minutes of the second half before the Gators began to rally.  A 6-0 run started by back-to-back layups by Hoffman and ended after a layup from steal and score from junior forward Ifeyinwa Uwazie sliced the Oberlin lead to 57-50 with 10:36 remaining in the half.  However, Oberlin held the Gators' offense at bay, building the lead back to double-digits while Allegheny experienced a three-minute scoring drought until another Uwazie layup with 7:35 left in the half.

A free-throw by Mrdjenovich brought the Gators to within single digits again at 66-57 with 4:54 left, but a 4-0 Yeowomen run put Oberlin up 13 points.  The Gators took one final shot at the Oberlin lead, as Mrdjenovich scored her 24^th point of the game on a three-pointer with 1:04 on the clock.

Mrdjenovich buried another three-pointer with 52 seconds left, followed by a three-pointer from Pellicano after a pair of free throws from Caroline Hamilton.  Down four points with under 30 seconds remaining, a jumper by Scarantino brought Allegheny to within two points, 76-74, with nine seconds left. 

Fouling after the subsequent Oberlin inbound, Allegheny had a chance at a game-tying or game-winning bucket after a pair of missed free-throws by the Yeowomen.  However, the Gators were unable to take a shot, needing to go full court with only four seconds left in the game.

Allegheny will look to rebound on the road next Saturday, as the Gators travel to Gambier, Ohio to battle the Kenyon Ladies on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 1 p.m.  The Gators will look to sweep the regular season series from the Ladies after a 56-45 home win on Dec. 10.