MEADVILLE, Pa. -- The Allegheny College men's basketball team earned a key Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) North Division victory over Grove City College by a final score of 65-57 on Wednesday evening inside the David V. Wise Center.

Taking the first half of the PAC home-and-home series may prove beneficial down the stretch, but it may also qualify as an upset. The win snapped a four-game skid against Grove City 5-9, 2-3 PAC), which was predicted to finish second in the North Division above the Gators (5-9, 3-2 PAC) in the conference's preseason poll.

The Gators got out to a fast start, amassing a 16-6 lead in the first five-and-a-half minutes before the first media timeout. After jumping ahead 20-8, however, the offense went cold. Over the last 12 minutes of the first half, Allegheny made only two of its 15 field goals and scored only five points. The Wolverines took a brief 22-20 lead before the Gators ended the half with five consecutive points to take a 25-22 lead into the halftime break. Freshman forward Max Wallace (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) made a key play to regain momentum with a steal and right-handed slam that put the Blue and Gold back on top.

The Wolverines converted a conventional three-point play to tie the game early in the second half. The teams went on to exchange baskets before Pijus Latauskas (Vilnius, Lithuania/Kiski Prep (Pa.)) scored five straight points to give the Gators a 35-30 lead.

The Allegheny advantage continued to grow as Lincoln Brockmeyer (Akron, Ohio/Copley) hit a three and then completed a second-chance play to make it 40-32. Grove City fought back and pulled within two points, 43-41, before Brockmeyer hit another 3-pointer to extend the lead to 46-41 with under 10 minutes to play.

Senior James Sitter (Erie, Pa./Fairview) pushed the lead to as many as 11 points inside the final minute. Allegheny made all eight free throws in the last two-plus minutes, including six in a row from Sitter inside the last minute to preserve the victory.

Inside the Box

• The Gators finished 22-of-53 (41.5% from the field, while the Wolverines were 25-of-67 (37.3%) overall.
• Allegheny made all but one free throw in the second half while going 14-of-17 (82.4%) from the line.
• Grove City only made three 3-pointers (3-of-18, 16.7%) and four free throws (4-of-6, 66.7%).
• Both offenses committed 11 turnovers, and the Wolverines held a slight advantage in steals, 8-to-6.
• The Wolverines also led in rebounds, 38-to-33, and more than doubled Allegheny's offensive rebounds, 17-to-8.
• Ryan Lang (Sarver, Pa./Knoch) recorded 16 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals while playing all 40 minutes.
• Jayson Perry (Tampa, Fla/Sickles) scored 13 points and dished out a team-high six assists.
• Latauskas also reached double figures with 12 points to go along with six rebounds.
• Sitter, Wallace, and Brockmeyer all netted eight points, while Sitter grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.
• Kyle Randle (17) and Austin Johncour (11) both scored double-digit points to pace Grove City's offense.

News and Notes

• A long-standing rivalry, Allegheny is now 73-77 all-time against Grove City.
• The Gators earned their first win over the Wolverines since beating them 70-64 in Grove City on February 22, 2023.
• Latauskas scored double-digit points for the 10th time this season, while Lang did so for the 11th time in 14 games.
• Perry tied a single-game best with the third game of his collegiate career with six assists.
• Sitter's success at the charity stripe continued against the Wolverines; he has made 25 in a row in 2025-26 and 31 consecutive foul shots dating back to last season.

Up Next
The Gators will travel to Saint Vincent College for a PAC contest on Saturday, January 17. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.