CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. – A dominating second half performance lifted the Gators to a 75-63 win at North Coast Athletic Conference foe Wabash.  The victory snapped a three-game losing skid for Allegheny, and marked the Gators first win over the Little Giants since 2007.

Trailing 41-35 at halftime, the Gators (6-6, 3-2 NCAC) opened the second half on an 18-0 run, and allowed just five Wabash (7-4, 3-2 NCAC) field goals over the game's final 20 minutes to pull away for the victory.

Josh Valentic's 21 points led four Gators in double figures, as the senior went 7-for-10 from the field and 4-for-6 from behind the three-point line.  Junior Chris Milon added a season-high 16 points, going 7-for-9 from the field, while sophomore Evan Zabriski added 15 points and classmate Conor Macomber 12.

The Gators connected on 29 of 49 attempts from the floor for the game to shoot a season-best 59 percent, including a 7-for-15 showing from behind the arc.  After seeing Wabash shoot at a 56 percent clip in the first half, the Gators held the Little Giants to just a 5-for-17 mark over the final 20 minutes, while also forcing 12 second half Wabash turnovers.

The first half got off to a furious start, as the teams went blow for blow over the first nine minutes, with Allegheny emerging with a 21-20 lead.   The Gators hit each of their first eight shots over the span, with Zabriski accounting for eight points, while Wabash went 9-for-12.

The Gators then cooled off, while Wabash remained red hot, scoring on four of their next five possessions, aided by four free throws, to embark on an 11-1 run and go up 32-22 with 7:11 left in the half.

The Wabash lead would eventually swell to 11, 39-28, with three minutes left, before the Gators began to seize the momentum entering the half.  An offensive put-back by Leslie Jamerson cut the deficit to 39-30 at the 2:30 mark, before Valentic scored five points in a 30-second span, with a mid-range jumper and a three-pointer, to make the score 39-35 with 1:03 left.  Wabash would score the final points of the half, on a buzzer-beating tip-in, to take a 41-35 lead into the locker room.

Both teams put together impressive offensive showings over the opening 20 minutes, as the Gators and Little Giants each shot an identical 14-for-25 from the field.  The difference came at the foul line, as Wabash connected on 10 of 12 freebies, compared to a 4-for-6 showing by the Gators.

Thanks to a stifling defense and a red hot offense, the Gators promptly took charge to start the second half.  Milon scored the first points of the half to cut the deficit to four, before Evan Schweitzer stole the ensuing inbounds play and scored on a layup to pull to within two.

After holding Wabash scoreless on its next trip, Zabriski connected on a jumper to tie the game at 41, and then Valentic came up with another steal, finding  Zabriski for an open three to give the Gators a 44-41 lead with 17:15 left.

The Gators weren't finished, as Valentic picked up another steal and found Milon for a fast-break layup to go in front 46-41.  The recipe remained the same, with Schweitzer again stripping the Wabash ball handler near midcourt, and feeding it inside to Milon, who scored to push the Gator lead to seven, 48-41.

A three by Valentic and another layup by Milon then closed out the decisive 18-0 run, putting the Gators on top 53-41 with 15:28 left in regulation.

Wabash fought to close the gap to 59-51 at the 10-minute mark, but the Gators responded with a lengthy 13-2 run, with seven points coming from Macomber, to increase the advantage to 72-53 and effectively put the game away with 5:43 to go.  The Gator lead would then hover between 14 and 17 over the next five minutes, before a pair of Wabash baskets in the final 40 seconds would account for the final score of 75-63.

The Gator defense tied a season-high with 11 steals in the win, including nine in the second half.  Schweitzer led the way with four, while Valentic added three and Milon two.   Jamerson and Milon tied for the team lead with five rebounds apiece, while Jamerson also led the team with two blocked shots.  Valentic and Schweitzer each finished with three assists.

Wabash was led on the day by Daniel Purvlicius, who scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Zack Patton and Austin Barton each scored eight points.

The Gators will now have a five-day respite before returning to action on Sat. Jan. 10, when they travel to Delaware, Ohio to take on NCAC leader Ohio Wesleyan for a 3 p.m. matinee.