MEADVILLE, Pa. -- For the first time in a decade, the Allegheny College men's basketball team hosted Case Western Reserve University, but the visiting Spartans prevailed by a final score of 85-65 on Saturday inside the David V. Wise Center.

Former conference foes dating back to their time in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) and Allegheny's first stint in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), the Gators (2-5) and Spartans (6-3) met as nonconference opponents on Saturday. Although CWRU held the lead for most of the afternoon, the Blue and Gold challenged the Spartans' resolve in both halves.

Trailing 11-7 early, the Gators received 3-pointers from James Sitter (Erie, Pa./Fairview) and Lincoln Brockmeyer (Akron, Ohio/Copley) to grab their first lead of the contest at 13-11. Matthew Ellis regained the lead for Case Western Reserve with a trey of his own on the next possession, but Ryan Lang (Sarver, Pa./Knoch) buried a 3-pointer on the other end of the court to put Allegheny up by two at 16-14.

Following a 17-2 run by the visitors, Allegheny ended the first half on a strong note. Down 33-16, the Gators scored nine of the next 10 points. Inside the final minute, Brockmeyer converted another 3-point attempt, and the Gators entered the half down by eight, 38-30.

Coming out of the halftime intermission, the Spartans extended the gap to as many as 17 points before the Gators sparked another rally. Over a five-minute span, Allegheny outscored CWRU 19-5 and whittled the deficit down to three points. The Gators made eight consecutive field goals during the run, which included treys from Jayson Perry (Tampa, Fla./Sickles), Brockmeyer, and Max Wallace (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep). On the other hand, the Spartans added fuel to the fire with two offensive fouls, energizing the bench and Gator faithful in attendance.

Wallace's 3-pointer capped the rally and brought the score to 58-55 midway through the period. Alas, the Spartans quickly flipped the script with nine unanswered points. Just as Allegheny used a five-minute spurt to put Case Western Reserve on its heels, the Spartans used the next five minutes to turn the narrow three-point advantage into an insurmountable 20-point lead.

Inside the Box Score

• The Gators shot 40.7% from the field (24-of-59) and 52.6% (10-of-19) from 3-point range.
• The Spartans finished with a 47.8 field-goal percentage (32-of-67) and made 48.0% of their attempts from beyond the arc (12-of-25).
• CRWU finished with a 48-to-26 lead in rebounds, which helped the Spartans score a game-high 21 second-chance points.
• Lang and Perry both logged a team-high 13 points.
• Perry was a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line and was responsible for all but one of Allegheny's successful foul shots.
• Brockmeyer, who was 3-for-3 from distance, added 11 points and led all Gators with three steals.
• Sitter added nine points, followed by Wallace with seven and Pijus Latauskas (Vilnius, Lithuania/Kiski Prep (Pa.)) with six.
• Case Western Reserve's Ellis paced all scorers with 25 points off the bench.

News and Notes

• Allegheny and Case Western Reserve met for the first time since November 21, 2015, and only the fifth time as non-conference opponents since Western Reserve University and the Case Institute of Technology merged in 1967.
• The Gators shot a season-high 52.6% from 3-point range against the Spartans, and their 10 treys were one shy of a season best.
• Lang reached double-digits for the sixth time in seven games this season.
• Perry scored in double figures for the fourth time this winter.
• Brockmeyer tied season-highs in both 3-point field goals (3) and steals (3) against the Spartans.
• First-year forward Jacob Szep (Armstrong, Pa./Armstrong) scored his first collegiate points in his second appearance.

Up Next
Allegheny's last home game before the holiday break is scheduled for Tuesday, December 16, when the Gators host Muskingum University at 5 p.m. inside the Wise Center.