WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Allegheny College men's basketball fell in heart-breaking fashion on the road Wednesday night, as Washington and Jefferson College made a late 3-pointer to secure a 65-63 win on its home court.

Wednesday's decision allows the Presidents (15-6, 12-4 PAC) to move back into a tie for first place in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) with Allegheny (14-7, 12-4 PAC) with four regular-season games remaining. The teams split their series in 2022-23, as the Gators knocked off W&J inside the David V. Wise Center, 90-84, back on December 7.

Allegheny led by as many as nine in the opening half but needed a half-court buzzer-beater from Luke Barker (New Castle, Pa./Struthers (Ohio)) before the break to tie the score at 34-all. There was little breathing room for either side in the second half, and the score was again tied at 46-46 at the 11:20 mark.

The Gators went on a brief five-point run, which began with an Andre Wilder (Beaver Falls, Pa./Lincoln Park) 3-pointer, to pull ahead 51-46. But the Presidents responded with a 14-2 run of their own. Allegheny turned the ball over four times during that four-minute span, which was capped by a four-point play by W&J's J.R. Mazza.

Just when it looked like the Presidents might seal the win, the hosts missed the front end of two consecutive one-and-one opportunities inside the final minute of regulation. The Gators took advantage of the untimely misses, as Ryan Lang (Sarver, Pa./Knoch) and Preston Turk (New Castle, Pa./Neshannock) buried back-to-back treys to give the Gators a 63-62 lead with 24 seconds left.

Coming out of a Washington and Jefferson timeout, the 6-foot-8 Caden Hinckley (Boise, Idaho/Mt. Lebanon (Pa.)) used his lengthy wingspan to swat two shots out of the air on Washington and Jefferson's last possession. After each rejection, however, the Presidents maintain possession and Nick Gearhart sank a deep game-winning 3-pointer on a third-chance play.

Needing another buzzer-beater, Allegheny raced up the floor but the offense coughed up the ball as time expired.

Inside the Box Score

• Allegheny shot 36.9% (24-of-65) overall and 33.3% (10-of-30) from 3-point range.
• Washington and Jefferson finished 38.2% (26-of-68) overall and 36.0% (9-of-25) from beyond the arc.
• The Gators out-rebounded the Presidents, 49-to-38, but committed 21 turnovers compared to just 12 by W&J.
• Barker (20) and Turk (14) paced the Gators in points.
• Hinckley had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
• Wilder led all Gators with 12 rebounds in addition to nine points, three assists, and three steals.
• Matt Seidl scored a game-high 21 points off the bench for the Presidents.

News and Notes

• Wednesday's loss snapped Allegheny's seven-game win streak.
• However, the Gators and Presidents remain tied atop the PAC with 12-4 conference records.
• Barker finished in double figures for the fifth consecutive game, and his four steals were a season-best.
• Turk reached double-digits for the fifth time this season.
• Hinckley produced his 14th double-double of the year.
• With three blocks, Hinckley set a new single-season record with 56 blocks, surpassing Garret Daggett, who had 54 in 1986-87.
• Hinckley also moved into sixth place in Allegheny's single-season history with 239 rebounds.

Up Next
Allegheny men's basketball returns to the David V. Wise Center for a 4:00 p.m. matchup against Saint Vincent College on Saturday, February 4.