MEADVILLE, Pa. -- A hard-fought second-half performance wasn't enough to avoid a heartbreaking loss on Saturday afternoon, as Franciscan University used a last-second field goal to defeat Allegheny College, 73-72, inside the David V. Wise Center.

Facing a nine-point deficit at halftime and trailing by as many as 14 in the second half, the Gators (2-6, 1-4 PAC) rallied. After being held without a point for nearly six minutes, Allegheny found new life and began to chip away at the Franciscan (7-3, 3-3 PAC) lead.

Tanner Miller (Elkins, W.Va./Elkins) and James Sitter (Erie, Pa./Fairview) helped light the fuse that sparked the Gators, including 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions from Sitter. It was the start of a 22-8 run that turned a 54-40 Franciscan lead into a tie ballgame. During that eight-minute stretch, the Gators made four of their five attempts from 3-point range and were a perfect 4-for-4 at the line.

With 4:23 remaining, Ryan Lang (Sarver, Pa./Knoch) joined the comeback effort with a 3-pointer to even the score at 62-all. Barker then added a pair of free throws, giving the Gators their first lead in nearly 27 minutes of game time at 64-62.

Down 71-69, head coach Pat Sullivan used a timeout with 27.6 seconds left to draw up a play. And it worked to perfection. After inbounding the ball to Lang, Barker set a ghost screen at the top of the key. Both defenders followed Lang, leaving Barker wide open for a go-ahead 3-point bucket.

Now trailing 72-71, Franciscan head coach Joe Wallace countered with his own timeout with 15.2 seconds on the clock. Coming out of the break, the Barons decided to put the ball in the hands of their leading average scorer, Sawyer Butler, but his pull-up jumper was off the mark. After a brief battle for the loose ball, the rebound squirted to Aiden Townsend, who quickly sank the go-ahead shot from the left block.

Needing to travel the length of the floor with just 3.5 seconds to go, Barker received the inbound pass and raced up the court, but his desperation 3-pointer was off target.

Inside the Box Score

• Allegheny shot 44.2% overall (23-of-52), compared to a 43.1% clip (28-of-65) from the Barons.
• The Gators, however, were more efficient from 3-point range and the foul line.
• Allegheny made 13-of-32 attempts from beyond the arc for a 40.6 3-point field goal percentage.
• In the second half, the Gators were perfect on eight tries from the foul line.
• The Barons had the advantage in rebounds, 37-to-30, and steals, 7-to-3.
• Barker, who finished 10-for-10 from the charity stripe, scored a team-high 23 points.
• Sitter added 21 points, followed by Lang with 18.
• Both Sitter and Lang made five 3-pointers.
• Miller provided six points off the bench for the Gators.
• Townsend (24) and Butler (21) produced more than 61% of Franciscan's points.

News and Notes

• Despite Saturday's loss, Allegheny remains in the lead in the all-time series against Franciscan, 3-2.
• Sitter scored a career-high 21 points and tied his single-game record with five 3-pointers.
• Barker surpassed 20 points for the fourth time in his last five games.
• Lang's 18 points and five treys are both season highs.

Up Next
The Gators will travel to New Concord, Ohio, for a non-conference contest against the Muskingum University Muskies on Tuesday, December 17, at 5:00 p.m.