GROVE CITY, Pa. -- The Allegheny College men's basketball team dropped a gritty 72-68 contest on the road against Grove City College in the 2023-24 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) opener on Wednesday night.

The Gators (0-4, 0-1 PAC) outshot Grove City (4-0, 1-0 PAC) with better field-goal percentages overall and from 3-point range and led by as many as seven points in the first half, but it wasn't enough to knock off the undefeated Wolverines. 

Both teams made 27 field goals, but the Gators were 50.9% (27-of-53) from the floor with a 43.8% (7-of-16) 3-point rate. On the other hand, Grove City was 27-of-64 (42.2%) with only two treys and a 14.3% (2-of-14) 3-point percentage. The biggest difference in the Wolverines' favor was their performance from the foul line, where Grove City was a perfect 16-for-16 on their home court.

Down by six in the first five minutes of the contest, Allegheny pieced together a 14-2 run over the next four minutes. Luke Barker (New Castle, Pa./Struthers (Ohio)) scored five in a row to open the rally, while Ryan Lang (Sarver, Pa./Knoch) and Isaiah Portis (Medina, Ohio/Norwayne) hit back-to-back 3-pointers. Portis' trey gave the Gators a 22-16 advantage at 11:04. Grove City managed to tie the score at 22-all, but Allegheny answered with another 7-0 run and grabbed its largest lead of the half, 29-22, with 7:14 to go. 

Grove City took a 35-32 lead into the halftime break. Allegheny managed to tie the score a few times in the second half and briefly took the lead, 54-52, on a Barker triple. The game was last tied at 58-58 with four-and-a-half minutes to play. Although the full-court press frustrated the Wolverines occasionally, Grove City made every field goal and free throw inside the final two-plus minutes.

Inside the Box Score

• Allegheny shot 50.9% from the field with 27 field goals and seven 3-pointers.
• The Gators made 7-of-11 (63.6%) of their free throws.
• Grove City shot 42.2% overall but only 14.3% from 3-point range with two treys on 14 attempts.
• The Wolverines made all 16 free throws, including all 12 in the second half.
• Grove City finished with a plus-four rebound margin, 34-to-30.
• The Gators dished out assists on 19 of their 27 field goals, as eight of nine players finished with at least one assist.
• Barker and Andre Wilder (Beaver Falls, Pa./Lincoln Park) paced Allegheny with 18 and 17 points, respectively.
• Wilder also had two blocks, two steals, and two assists.
• Lang scored 15 points and tied Barker with a team-high five assists.
• Mike Noonan (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) scored five points with a team-high-tying five rebounds.

News and Notes

• The Gators shot at least 50.0% from the field for the third time in four games to start the 2023-24 season.
• Wilder and Lang reached double figures for the fourth consecutive game.
• Barker scored double-digit points for the third time in four games.
• First-year forward Zion Barksdale (Meadville, Pa./Cathedral Prep) scored his first collegiate point on a free throw against Grove City.

Up Next
Allegheny is off this weekend but returns to action on Tuesday, November 21, when the Gators face Bethany College in the 2023 home opener at the David V. Wise Center. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m.