HIRAM, Ohio - A late two-point shot from Hiram with 52 seconds left proved too much as the Allegheny men's basketball team fell to Hiram 80-79 on the road.

With the loss, the Gators fall to 9-5 on the season with a 3-4 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) mark while the Terriers move to 5-9 and 2-5 in conference play.

The first half was a constant back and forth affair with one point being the difference as the teams headed to the locker rooms, with Hiram up 38-37. Then, with the game tied at 52-52 with 13:31 left, the Terriers went on a 10-2 run to provide the largest margin of the game at eight points. Allegheny responded with a 7-0 run, starting at the 2:30 mark, putting the score at 78-77 in favor of Hiram.

A bucket by Hiram extended the lead back out to three, but a quick layup by Jordan Rawls (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) brought the deficit back down to one at 80-79.  Rawls then delivered on the defensive end, earning a steal with nine seconds remaining, but the Gators were unable to get a shot off as the horn sounded and brought the game to a close.

Rawls led all Gators with 18 points and 12 rebounds, good for his 22nd career double-double. He also added two steals on the defensive end. Nijon Kirkman (Cleveland, Ohio/John Hay) had an impressive showing in his first start of the season with a double-double of his own as he scored 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond-the-arc, and 10 rebounds. 

Brian Roberts, Jr. (Copley, Ohio/Copley) also scored 17 points, a season-high, on a 6-of-9 clip from the floor. Jordan Greynolds (Barberton, Ohio/Barberton) rounded out the double-digit scorers with 15 points as he matched his career-high with five triples.

Allegheny returns to action with a Saturday (Jan. 18) matchup at Denison, tip is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.