MEADVILLE, PA. – Led by a definitive performance by the Gator frontcourt, the Allegheny women's basketball squad remained unbeaten at home while moving to 4-1 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) standings after an 83-73 win over Hiram on Wednesday evening at the David V. Wise Center.
Wilby tied a career-high with 18 points, shooting 7-of-12 from the field while grabbing eight rebounds. Wilby was one of five Gators in double-digits, as junior
Emma Pellicano led all scorers with 22 points, tying senior
Kendall Hoffman with a team-high nine rebounds each.
Junior
Jessica Mrdjenovich netted 12 points, as Gator third year
Kaitlyn Fromknecht scored 11 and senior
Marina Scarantino picked up 10 points. Pellicano also led the Gators with four assists, as Hoffman posted three steals and Fromknecht set a new career-high with six blocks.
The Gators scored 25 points off of 22 Hiram turnovers, as Allegheny outscored Hiram, 54-22, in the paint. Allegheny closed the contest shooting 43.6 percent from the field, picking up 11 second chance points off of 20 total offensive boards. The Gators are now 9-1 over their last 10 contests, picking up their fourth home win of the season on Wednesday night.
In the first half, the two teams played to a 10-10 stalemate with 11:51 remaining in the opening stanza, but the Gators, who struggled from the field in the game's opening moments, gained momentum and used a 31-11 advantage over the remainder of the half to take a 41-21 lead into halftime.
Fromknecht and Wilby each scored nine first-half points, and were also assisted by 14 points off of 11 first half Hiram turnovers. With 2:29 remaining in the half, Mrdjenovich drilled a three from the right wing, picking off the ensuing mid-court pass from Hiram, quickly converting the layup to give the squad a 39-16 cushion.
The Hiram guards increased the pressure in the second half, burying seven three pointers while outscoring the Blue and Gold, 52-42, in the second. The Gators held a 20-point lead until the 17:35 mark of the half, when back-to-back three-pointers brought the Terriers to within 16 points.
A free-throw by Hoffman with 8:58 remaining in the half put the Gators back up by 20, as Allegheny was able to keep Hiram away from the lead down the stretch to clinch the win.
The Gators will next travel to Delaware, Ohio to battle Ohio Wesleyan University at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10. Allegheny will then return to the David V. Wise Center on Saturday, Jan. 17 against Denison.
