GREENVILLE, Pa. -- The Allegheny College men's basketball team played tough against Thiel College in its 2024-25 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) opener, but the Tomcats pulled away in the closing minutes for a 67-62 victory on their home court.

Wednesday's back-and-forth contest was tied on nine separate occasions in the second half, as neither team could distance itself. Thiel (2-3, 1-1 PAC) attempted to pull away by breaking a 43-43 tie with five unanswered points, but Marchelo Moreira (Abu Dhabi, UAE/IMG Academy (Fla.)) and Ryan Lang (Sarver, Pa./Knoch) answered with the following five to even things at 48-all.

The Tomcats scored on their next possession to gain a brief lead, but James Sitter (Erie, Pa./Fairview) scored four of Allegheny's next five to put the Gators on top, 53-50, with 7:18 to play. However, that lead didn't last long, as Thiel's Gabriel Gonzalez sank a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession. 

Down by two at 62-60, Lang drove to the baseline and was blocked by Anthony Henderson II on his first attempt. Lang didn't give up on the play; instead, he recovered his own rebound, spun underneath the rim, and finished with his right hand. The layup tied the score for the last time at 62-62 with just over two minutes left in regulation. 

Unfortunately, those were the last points the Gators scored over the final two-plus minutes. Trailing 64-62 with 34 seconds to go, a mishandled pass between Luke Barker (New Castle, Pa./Struthers (Ohio)) and Sitter proved costly, resulting in a back court violation. Thiel took advantage and sealed the win with two hard-earned points in the lane from Mike Brown on its next possession.

Inside the Box Score

• Wednesday's game featured 10 lead changes and 10 ties, nine of which occurred in the second half.
• The Gators led by two at the break, 28-26, despite a slow start in the first half.
• Allegheny shot 38.6% overall (22-of-57) but was more efficient in the second half with a 42.9 field-goal percentage (12-of-28).
• Thiel finished with 26 field goals on 57 attempts, equaling a rate of 45.6%.
• The Gators won the rebounding battle, 38-to-33, while both teams recorded seven steals.
• Lang led all Gators with a team-high 16 points.
• Barker scored 12 points with five rebounds, a team-high three assists, and two steals.
• Jayson Perry (Tampa, Fla./Sickles) also reached double figures with 11 points.
• Isaiah Portis (Medina, Ohio/Norwayne) recorded team highs in rebounds (9) and steals (4) to go along with eight points.
• Two Tomcats scored double-digit points, led by Gonzalez with a game-high 18.

News and Notes

• Lang's 16 points and five rebounds were both season highs.
• Perry has scored double-digit points in consecutive games for the first time in his career.
• Barker is closing in on 1,000 career points; with 12 more against Thiel, the senior sits at 981.
• Moreira scored the first seven points of his collegiate career against the Tomcats.

Up Next
Allegheny's 2024-25 home opener is set for Saturday, November 23, when the Gators host Chatham University inside the David V. Wise Center at 3:00 p.m.