MEADVILLE, Pa. -- In what turned out to be the longest Allegheny basketball game (men or women) in the 21-year history of the David V. Wise Center, the Gators eventually fell by a 95-94 score in three overtimes against Oberlin.
The North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) game turned out to be the longest in the conference this season and is tied for the second longest in Division III this season. It was also tied for the third-longest in program history and the longest since the Gators fell at Wabash in three overtimes, 95-87, on Jan. 5, 2013. For Allegheny, the game also marked the first overtime appearance since falling to Kenyon, 75-72, on Dec. 9, 2014.
Brian Roberts, Jr., scored 17 of his season-high 33 points across the three overtimes, shooting 6-of-11 over the 15 minute-span.
Trailing by three, 93-90, with under 40 seconds to play in the third overtime,
Caden Hinckley rebounded a Roberts, Jr. missed layup and
Billy Urso found
Josh Ratesic in the corner for a triple that knotted the game at 93-93. Oberlin's Joshua Friedkin hit a step-back jumper with under three seconds remaining that pushed the Yeo ahead, 95-93, but several of his teammates ran onto the floor and the guests were assessed a technical. Urso made one-of-two shots, and Roberts, Jr. had a three-point attempt at the buzzer blocked to send the Yeomen back to Ohio with the 95-94, marathon victory.
In the first OT period, Roberts, Jr. had a three-point play with 39 seconds to go that turned a one-point deficit into a two-point lead, buy an offensive rebound and layup by the Yeomen with 15 seconds to play sent the game into a second overtime. In that period, Allegheny twice had the lead out to five points, but eventually an offensive rebound with 0.6 second and layup by Jordan Armstrong once again allowed the Yeo to force an additional period.
Allegheny led by eight at halftime, 33-25, but Oberlin outscored the Gators, 41-33, in the second half to force the first extra period. The Gators led by two after a pair of free throws by Roberts, Jr. with 51 seconds to play, but a layup from Oberlin's Christian Fioretti at the 38-second mark knotted the game to force overtime.
Jordan Rawls missed a three-pointer with seven seconds, but Hinckley got the offensive rebound in the hands of Urso, who also missed a triple opportunity. Out of a trio of time outs, the Gators got a tip attempt by Rawls at the rim, but it did not fall and the first overtime commenced.
Hinckley and Rawls each scored 14 points and had two assists and two blocks, with Hinckley turning in his third double-double of the season with 11 boards in 47 minutes. Rawls pulled down nine boards in the defeat. Urso, who was the only player on either team to play all 55 minutes, finished with nine points and a team-best four assists, while
Lamar Todd had seven points and eight rebounds in 38 minutes.
Allegheny drops to 8-13 overall and 4-11 in the NCAC, while Oberlin improves to 12-10 this season and 8-7 in the league. The Gators travel to Denison on Saturday, Feb. 9 for a 3 p.m. tip against the Big Red.
Prior to the game, Rawls was presented with a commemorative game ball in honor of reaching the 1,000 career point mark.
