MEADVILLE, Pa. -- The Allegheny College men's basketball team opened its 2025-26 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) schedule with a 66-54 victory over Westminster College Wednesday night inside the David V. Wise Center.

Intensity and excitement filled the Wise Center throughout the contest as the Gators (2-3, 1-0 PAC) knocked off the PAC's North Division preseason favorite. The Titans (3-3, 0-1 PAC) were voted No. 1 in the North Division in the preseason coaches' poll with 60 points and six first-place votes, while Allegheny came in third place with 43 points.

Westminster's only lead came off the first field goal of the night, a steal and coast-to-coast finish by Mick Hergenrother in the opening minute. Although Allegheny never relinquished the lead, the Titans did all they could to keep a comeback within reach. The Gators led by as many as 12 points in the first half at 33-21, but the visitors began the second half with a 10-5 run that evened the score at 38-apiece before the first media timeout. 

Junior guard Jayson Perry (Tampa, Fla./Sickles) helped the Gators close out the victory with an inspired second-half performance. He netted 12 of his 14 points in the last 15-plus minutes of action and made several key plays that fueled Allegheny's winning effort. He broke the 38-38 tie with a 3-pointer, then sank another trey to put his team up 44-40 two-and-a-half minutes later. Perry extended his run to five unanswered with a bucket after a Westminster turnover on the ensuing possession, before swatting away a shot by DJ Harrell less than a minute later.

After a Perry layup near the six-minute mark, Jaxon Hendershott made a 3-pointer of his own to bring the Titans within four points, 56-52. But that was as close as Westminster would come to the Allegheny lead, as the Gator defense held the Titans without a point for the next 2:11. Harrell converted two foul shots to end the scoring drought, but Pijus Latauskas (Vilnius, Lithuania/Kiski Prep (Pa.)) took the wind out of the Westminster sails with a second-chance corner trey with about two minutes left on the clock.

Inside the Box Score

• Allegheny shot an even 50.0% with 29 makes on 58 attempts.
• The Gators missed all seven 3-pointers in the first half, but made 5-of-13 shots from beyond the arc in the second half.
• Westminster ended the night with 23 buckets on 62 attempts for a 37.1 field-goal percentage.
• Allegheny won the battle on the glass with a 39-to-29 advantage in rebounds.
• Ryan Lang (Sarver, Pa./Knoch) led all scorers with a game-high 18 points to go along with seven rebounds, six assists, and one steal.
• Perry and Latauskas each scored 14 points.
• Max Wallace (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) added eight points, and fellow freshman Lincoln Brockmeyer (Akron, Ohio/Copley) scored six off the bench.
• Drew Weir (15), Trey DePietro (12), and Harrell (11) all reached double figures for Westminster.

News and Notes

• Allegheny opened conference play with a win for the first time since the 2021-22 season as members of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC).
• 54 points are the fewest allowed by the Gators in a game since beating Waynesburg University, 61-54, on December 9, 2023.
• Allegheny's defense posted season bests in 3-pointers allowed (4), opponents' 3-point percentage (16.0%), opponents' rebounds (29), and opponents' free throw attempts (7).
• Latauskas scored double-digit points for the fifth consecutive game to begin his collegiate career.
• Lang posted double-digit points for the fourth time this season while recording season highs in rebounds (7) and assists (6).

Up Next
On Saturday, December 3, the Gators will travel to Geneva College for a PAC matchup at 3 p.m.