MEADVILLE, Pa. - The Allegheny College women's basketball team overcame a 15-point first quarter deficit in a 66-55 victory over Ohio Wesleyan University Saturday (Jan. 13) in Meadville.
The back-and-forth game featured six lead changes and seven deadlocks. The Gators shot 53.5% (eight-of-15) in the fourth quarter as they closed the game on an 18-3 run.
After trading the opening eight points of the game, the Battling Bishops went on a 15-0 over a four minute stretch to take a 19-4 lead.
Kaylah Pinkney broke up the Ohio Wesleyan run, and added another basket in the closing seconds of the quarter to cut the lead to 19-8 entering the second.
Early in the second quarter, the Ohio Wesleyan lead grew to 17, 25-8, before the Gators started to chip away. Allegheny went on a 7-0 run to bring the game within 10 points with 5:28 to play in the half. The Battling Bishops pushed their advantage up to 14 once again but the Gators brought the lead down to 32-23 at halftime.
Pinkney led the Gators with nine points in the opening half.
Rylee Donovan and
Julianna Skowron had four points apiece.
Zoe Soilis had a team-best four rebounds. In the second quarter, the Gators shot 44.4% (four-of-nine) from the floor while going seven-of-eight from the free-throw line.
The Gators came out of the locker motivated, starting the third on a 7-0 run, capped off by a
Delaney Arbore three, to bring the game within two points, 32-30. After some back-and-forth play, Donovan found Arbore cutting to the basket for layup, giving the Gators their first lead, 38-37, since scoring the game's first basket. The teams exchanged leads in the waning minutes of the third as they found themselves tied at 44 entering the fourth.
The teams traded the lead twice before the Battling Bishops took a four point lead, 52-48, with just over five minutes to play. The Gators quickly pulled within a point on a traditional three point play by
Brooke Smith which sparked a 16-0 run. Twenty seconds later, Donovan once again found Arbore cutting to the basket for an easy layup to put the Gators in front 53-52. Allegheny was firing on all cylinders as they held tough on defense, holding the Battling Bishops to just one field goal in the final five minutes of play as they captured the conference win 66-55.
Arbore led the Gators with 15 points and a pair of steals and assists. Donovan had a team-high five assists with 14 points, three rebounds and two steals. Skowron recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Smith also finished in double figures, going three-of-three from the field and four-of-four from the free-throw line to finish with 10 points. Pinkney finished the game with nine points and three rebounds. Soilis grabbed six boards to go with four points and a pair of assists.
The Gators shot 58.0% in the second half (18-of-31) to finish the game at 43.3% (26-of-60). They were tested at the free-throw line but went 13-of-15 (86.7%).
The Allegheny defense forced 18 turnovers that translated into 20 points. Of the 66 points, 44 came in the paint.
Claire Sterling led the way for Ohio Wesleyan with 14 points.
The Gators are back in action Wednesday (Jan. 17) at Oberlin College in a 6 p.m. NCAC game.
