MEADVILLE, Pa. -- The Allegheny women's basketball team kicked off the 2019-20 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) slate with a 66-60 win over Ohio Wesleyan at James H. Mullen, Jr. Arena on Saturday (Nov. 30).

For the Gators, who improve to 4-4 overall, the victory marks the ninth time in the last 11 seasons they've kicked off NCAC play 1-0. OWU drops to 1-4 on the year and 0-1 in league action.

Allegheny led for the vast majority of the game, with OWU leading just twice in the first quarter, the last time coming at 7-6 with 3:15 to play. A pair of free throws by Julianna Skowron (Sewickley, Pa./Oakland Catholic) around the 3:00-mark of the opening period gave the Gators the lead for good. After that 7-6 score, Allegheny closed out the first quarter on a 13-4 run to own a 19-11 lead at the conclusion of 10 minutes. The run was fueled by four points by Zoe Youdell (Connellsville, Pa./Connellsville) and a triple by Zoe Soilis (Buffalo Township, Pa./Freeport) as time expired.

Despite holding the Bishops to just 18.8 percent (3-for-16) from the floor in the second quarter, the Gators were edged slightly, 17-15, in the period, thanks to a 10-for-10 showing at the free-throw line by the visitors. After 20 minutes, Allegheny held a 34-28 advantage.

The second half scoring was deadlocked at 32-32 overall, with OWU getting as close as one point, 61-60, at 1:21 of the fourth quarter. Allegheny would keep OWU off the board the rest of the way, however, as a layup by Youdell with 59.5 seconds to play pushed the lead back out to three, 63-60. The Gators forced a turnover and then Rylee Donovan (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) converted 1-of-2 free throws to make it a two possession game. A missed triple at the other end was rebounded by Skowron, and Soilis sealed the game with two free throws in the waning seconds to seal the 66-60 victory.

As a team, Allegheny held OWU to just 31.3 percent (21-of-67) from the floor and only 28.6 percent (4-of-14) from beyond-the-arc. The Gators' bench outscored the Bishops' by a 23-2 clip, fueled by Donovan's nine points (also five boards and four assists) and eight from Brooke Smith (New Kensington, Pa./Burrell).


Soilis led the Gators with 13 points, while also adding four rebounds, three steals and two assists. Youdell was the lone other Gator in double digits with 10 points (plus six boards), while six members of the Blue & Gold scored at least eight points. Skowron posted a game- and season-high 13 boards to go along with her nine points. Alexis Caldwell (Whitefish Bay, Wis./Whitefish Bay) contributed eight points and eight rebounds.

Allegheny continues NCAC play when it hosts Wooster at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 4.