MEADVILLE, Pa. – Hampered by a sluggish offensive performance in the first half, the Gators were defeated 70-62 by Thiel in the 2015-16 season opener at the David V. Wise Center.

Facing a 14-point halftime deficit after shooting just 29 percent from the field and 53 percent (9-for-17) from the foul line, the Gators regrouped to put together a solid second frame, cutting the deficit to single digits on numerous occasions.  The squad was unable to complete the comeback, however, and was defeated in the debut of head coach Bob Simmons.

Senior Chris Milon came off the bench to post team-highs of 14 points and nine rebounds for the hosts, while senior Brandon Smith and sophomore Isaiah Henderson scored 10 points apiece.

The teams traded buckets over the opening seven minutes of regulation, with the Gators' Evan Zabriski scoring four points and Donte Wallette three, as the teams were tied at 13-all with just over 13 minutes left in the half. 

The Tomcats scored five quick points to open up an 18-13 lead with 11:20 left, before Smith answered with a layup to cut the deficit to 18-15 at the 11-minute mark.  Thiel countered in a big way, embarking on an 8-0 run to go up 26-15 with 6:35 left, before eventually pushing the advantage to 30-17 at the six-minute mark.

A Milon bucket followed by a pair of free throws from Henderson pulled the Gators back to within single digits, 32-23, with 3:36 left, before the Tomcats ended the half on a 7-2 run to take a 39-25 advantage into the break.

The Gators began to claw back to open the second half, beginning the final frame on a 12-5 run, with six points from Evan Schweitzer, to quickly trim the deficit to 44-37 with just inside 14 minutes left in regulation.    Thiel bounced back to open up an 11-point lead, 54-43, at the 10-minute mark, before layups from Milon and Henderson made the score 54-47 with 8:40 left.

Momentum then went back to the Tomcats, who embarked on a 9-1 run to open up their largest lead of the night, 63-48, with 4:52 left to play.  The Gators again went on the comeback trail, pulling to 63-52 on a pair of Henderson foul shots with 2:40 left, before cutting the lead to single digits on a conventional three-point play by Conor Macomber that made the score 67-59 with 1:19 remaining. 

With 59 seconds left, two more freebies from Henderson closed the gap to six, 67-61, but the Tomcats' Khari Bess hit a long three-pointer on the ensuing possession to put the game away with 28 seconds left to play.

The Gators, who received 35 points off the bench, owned a sizeable advantage in both points in the paint (36-24) and made free throws (20-10).   The difference came from long range, as the Tomcats connected on six of 16 attempts from behind the arc, while the Gators went 0-for-14 from outside. 

Thiel had four players score in double figures, led by Tyreik Burton, who tallied a game-high 18 points.  Bess and Luke Kochka each added 15, while Clandell Cetoute bucketed 10.

The Gators will return to action on Tuesday, Nov. 17, when they continue their four game homestand to open the season with a 7 p.m. tilt against Juniata at the Wise Center.