MEADVILLE, Pa. – Four Gators scored in double figures, but Allegheny was unable to overcome a sharp offensive performance from Case Western Reserve, falling 96-79 to the Spartans on the final day of the Greg Richards '08 Memorial Tip-Off Classic at the David V. Wise Center.

The visiting Spartans, who connected on 10 three-pointers and shot a blistering 57 percent from the field, used a 12-0 run midway through the first half to force the Gators to play catch-up for the duration of the contest.  

Junior Evan Zabriski scored a season-high 17 points from the Gators, going 6-for-9 from the field, while senior Evan Schweitzer added 13 points, and junior Conor Macomber and sophomore Isaiah Henderson 11 apiece.

Zabriski scored five of the Gators' first six points on the evening in an evenly-played opening four minutes, after which Case held a three-point lead.  The Spartans then got hot, scoring on six consecutive possessions, with a pair of three-pointers, to open up a 25-8 advantage with 12:40 left in the half.

After a layup by Chris Koryak at the 9-minute mark, the Gators began to chip away.  Baskets from Henderson and Chris Milon 30 seconds apart cut the deficit to 10, 34-24, before a Brandon Smith jumper brought the Gators to within single digits with just under seven minutes left in the half.

Powered by a pair of three-pointers, Case answered with a quick 8-2 run to go up 42-26 with five minutes to go, and their lead would hover between 11-14 points as the half entered its final two minutes.

The Gators then entered the locker room with momentum. A bucket by Donte Wallette cut the gap to 10 at the one-minute mark, before Schweitzer closed the half in memorable fashion.  With four seconds left, the senior hit a driving layup, before intercepting the ensuing in-bounds pass under the hoop and laying it in with less than a second remaining.  He was fouled on the play, and converted on the traditional three-point play to finish with five points in four seconds, and send his team into the intermission trailing just 50-43.

The Spartans opened the second half with a three-pointer on their opening possession to push the lead back up to 10, but the Gators received two points apiece from Smith, Zabriski, and Brian Holland to pull back to within single digits, 57-49, with just under 16 minutes remaining in regulation. 

Case again threatened to pull away, going up 14 on two separate occasions over the next four minutes, but the Gators answered right back, twice trimming the gap to 10, highlighted by a long Macomber three from the left wing with 10:48 remaining to make the score 68-58.

The Gators were unable to recover from the Spartans' next surge, as the visitors embarked on a 12-5 run over the next four minutes, with six points coming on jumpers from Jimmy Holman, to jump in front 80-63 with just under seven minutes left.   Allegheny would get no closer than 13 points the rest of the way, as the Spartans pulled away down the stretch to seal the win.

Case also had four scorers in double figures, led by 27 points by Matt Clark and 19 from Holman, who was named to the All-Classic Team. 

The Gators, who were narrowly out-rebounded 33-31 for the game, were led on the glass by Smith, who posted seven boards to go with nine points. Schweitzer, who was the Gators' selection to the All-Classic Team, posted three steals to share the team lead with Henderson.  Macomber handed out three assists.

Allegheny will look to snap its four-game losing skid on Tuesday, Nov. 24, when the Gators travel to Carnegie Mellon for an 8 p.m. tilt.