MEADVILLE, Pa. – The Allegheny men's basketball team was unable to hold off a late comeback as Wittenberg escaped Mullen Arena with a 75-71 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) win on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 12).
Andre Wilder (Beaver Falls, Pa./Lincoln park) got the Gators off to a fast start with two early three-pointers. Trailing 9-8 minutes later, Allegheny went on a 6-0 run to take a 13-8 lead. Wittenberg tied the game at 17-17, but the Gators rattled off a 7-0 run, punctuated with a
Caden Hinckley (Boise, Idaho/Mount Lebanon (Pa.)) traditional three-point play. The lead held for Allegheny as it took a 30-24 lead into halftime.
The Gators again got off to a fast start in the second half, jumping ahead to a 41-28 lead. The lead grew to as much as 17, 50-33, before the first media timeout.
The Tigers fought back, bringing the score within one at 64-63, but a
Jordan Greynolds (Barberton, Ohio/Barberton) three-pointer gave Allegheny a four point edge with five minutes to play. While the Gators made just one of their final 12 attempts from the field, the Tigers were able to knock down eight of their final nine three-point attempts to pull out the victory.
Hinckley led all players with 25 points, 16 rebounds, four blocks and four steals. It marked the 11th double-double of the season for the junior, while the 16 rebounds were a career high.
Brian Roberts, Jr. (Copley, Ohio/Copley) was second on the team with 21 points, his 14th 20-plus point showing of the year, while the senior has been in double digits in every game in 2021-22. He also added eight rebounds and dished out a game-best five assists. Wilder recorded his second double-double of the last three games by posting 12 points and 10 boards. Greynolds knocked down three triples en route to 13 points.
The Gators head into the final week of the regular season, where they will conclude play with a pair of home games, beginning with Faculty Appreciation Night against Oberlin at 8pm on Wednesday, Feb. 16.
