GAMBIER, Ohio - The Gators had another solid night shooting the basketball, but a strong inside game lifted host Kenyon to an 81-69 victory in North Coast Athletic Conference action at the Tomsich Arena.

Allegheny (3-5, 0-2 NCAC) connected on 13 three-point field goals, with seven different players tallying at least one long ball, but Kenyon (2-4, 1-1 NCAC) held a 40-18 advantage in points in the paint, and out-rebounded the Gators 48-21, including 16 offensive rebounds that led to 16 second chance points. 

Gator freshman Jordan Rawls (pictured above) scored a team-high 20 points, including 17 in the first half, and was joined in double figures by senior Conor Macomber, who scored 12 points thanks to a 4-for-8 showing from behind the arc.  Senior Evan Zabriski and freshman Zach Zoll each came off the bench to add nine points for the Gators, who saw their losing streak reach five games.

Kenyon's Phillip Crampton scored 22 points to lead both sides, and was one of three Lords to share game-high honors with nine rebounds.  Ethan Shapiro added 11 points for the Lords, going a perfect 5-for-5 from the field.  

Early on, it was Kenyon that found success from distance, as the Lords connected on a trio of attempts from international waters to jump in front 18-11 6:30 into the opening half.

Behind Rawls and Zabriski, the Gators answered right back.  The two forwards netted five points apiece over a 90-second span to cut the Kenyon lead to 23-22 at the 9-minute mark.

Kenyon would threaten to pull away as the half wound down, embarking on a 16-3 run over a four-minute span to open up a 39-25 lead with 3:57 left in the half.

The Gators again countered, seizing some momentum heading into the intermission.  A Rawls three-pointer with 2:35 left cut the gap to 12, before a longball from Macomber made a 10-point game, 43-33, with 53 seconds left.  After a pair of free throws from Rawls at the 30-second mark, Donte Wallette secured an offensive rebound and connected on a jumper from 10 feet out at the buzzer to send the teams into the intermission with Kenyon up 35-27.

Allegheny's proficiency from distance kept the game close at the half, as eight of the team's 13 field goals came from behind the arc, where they shot 50 percent.  Kenyon shot a solid 56 percent from the floor, going 18-for-33, with 10 buckets coming from inside the paint.

Billy Urso and Macomber each hit trifectas in the opening five minutes of the second stanza to keep the deficit in single digits, but the Lords responded with nine straight points to open up a 63-46 advantage with 13 minutes left in regulation.  

The Gators would chip away at the deficit, pulling to within 12, 69-57, after buckets by Zoll on back-to-back trips with just over eight minutes left.  The Lords then put together a 12-3 run over the next five minutes to jump ahead 81-62 at the three-minute mark, and the Gators were unable to recover, though they scored the game's final seven points, including five in the final minute by Zoll, who needed just eight minutes to bucket his career-high nine points.

Jamison Nee led the Gators in both assists and rebounds, with four of each, while Zack Pateras added three rebounds, and Urso two helpers.

Kenyon ended the night with a 52 percent mark from the field (34-for-66), while the Gators shot at a 44 percent clip (26-for-59).  

Allegheny will return to action on Saturday, December 10, hosting NCAC foe Hiram in a 3 p.m. tilt at the David V. Wise Center.  It will mark the Gators' final home game of the 2016 calendar year.