MEADVILLE, Pa. -- The Allegheny men's basketball team raced out to a commanding 32-7 lead over the first 7:30 and never looked back en route to a 116-78, wire-to-wire exhibition win over Hilbert at Mullen Arena.

Junior Brian Roberts, Jr. (Copley, Ohio/Copley) sparked the team from the start, scoring 13 of his game-high 35 points during that opening stretch. The run featured a 12-of-16 shooting performance from the field by the Gators, including a near-perfect 6-of-7 from three-point range. The Allegheny defense was also impressive during the spurt, holding the Hawks to just 3-of-15 from the floor over the same period.

By halftime, Allegheny had worked the lead out to 65-38 behind a 59.4 percent (19-of-32) shooting performance from the field and 56.3 percent (9-of-16) from beyond-the-arc. A 51-point second half saw the Gators make another 19 field goals and eight three-pointers to finish the game with 55.1 and 53.1 percentages from the field and three-point range, respectively.

Roberts, Jr.'s 35 points came on 9-of-11 from the field and a whopping 7-of-9 from three-point range. The guard also converted on 10-of-11 attempts from the free throw line. He was joined in double figures by four teammates, including senior Lamar Todd (Pittsburgh, Pa./Allderdice), who posted 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds, plus three assists and three steals. Junior Jordan Greynolds (Barberton, Ohio/Barberton) (six rebounds) and freshman Andre Wilder (Beaver Falls, Pa./Lincoln Park) (eight rebounds) each added 11 points, while rookie Mike Noonan (Latrobe, Pa./Latrobe) chipped in 10 points.

The two teams will complete a home-and-home series tomorrow, Saturday, March 27, when they tip-off at 6 p.m. at Hilbert in Hamburg, N.Y.