DELAWARE, Ohio – Behind a prolific three-point attack, host Ohio Wesleyan defeated Allegheny 107-83 in a North Coast Athletic Conference battle at the Branch Rickey Arena.

Four Gators scored in double figures led by Jordan Rawls' 21 points, but Allegheny (4-11, 1-7 NCAC) was unable to answer an Ohio Wesleyan (9-6,  6-1 NCAC) offense that saw 21 of its 33 field goals come from behind the arc.

Joining Rawls (pictured above) in double figures on the scoresheet, Evan Zabriski produced 19 points, going 7-for-9 from the field, while Billy Urso added 11 and Conor Macomber 10.  Zabriski topped the Gators with six rebounds, while Jamison Nee dished a team-high four assists to go with nine points.

Thanks to Rawls, the Gators got off to a strong start in the opening half.  The hulking rookie scored on each of Allegheny's first four possessions, before Urso nailed a three-pointer that put the Gators in front 12-6 five minutes into play.

The Bishops would then find their stroke from deep to wrest the momentum, as they used a quartet of trifectas to rattle off a quick 18-5 run and gain a 24-17 lead with 11 minutes left in the half.  Rawls cashed in on a three-pointer and then a layup to halt the OWU surge, before Macomber's jumper from 15 feet out pulled the Gators back to within three, 27-24, with 9:02 remaining.

The OWU lead would hover between three and seven points for the next four minutes, before the Bishops put together another decisive run to close out the half, as they hit five three-pointers over the final five minutes to key a 22-7 run and enter the intermission with a 56-36 lead.

The Gator offense posted a strong second half, but was unable to cut into the 20-point halftime deficit, as Ohio Wesleyan continued to show its prowess from outside the arc.  Both squads connected on 14 field goals, but 10 of the Bishops' came from behind the arc, compared to just four Allegheny trifectas. 

The Gators shot a solid 48 percent from the field in the second half, led by Zabriski, who scored all 19 of his points in the final stanza. Allegheny also owned a healthy 20-13 rebounding advantage in the second half, with Zabriski hauling in six.

After bucketing 10 more three-pointers in the second half, Ohio Wesleyan ended the day 21-for-47 from behind the arc, while the Bishops shot 52 percent (33-for-63) overall. 

The Gators went a respectable 46 percent from the field (28-for-61), but connected on just eight of 22 attempts from deep.  Allegheny continued to excel at the foul line, shooting 19-for-25 as a team, led by a 4-for-4 effort by Nee.  

Ben Simpson led Ohio Wesleyan with a 22-point, 12-rebound double-double, while Jared Gerber scored 15 and Will Orr 14.

Allegheny will return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 18, playing host to conference foe Oberlin at 8 p.m. at the David V. Wise Center.