WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Allegheny College freshman Max Wallace (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) put together a breakout performance on Saturday afternoon in an 85-72 loss at defending Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) finalist Washington and Jefferson College.

A regular in the starting lineup in his debut season, Wallace went off in the second half. The 6-foot-6 forward scored 17 of his game- and season-high 24 points over the final 20 minutes. His 24 points more than doubled his previous single-game best, thanks to an efficient 71.4% clip (10-of-14) and 3-of-3 showing from the foul line.

With the Gators (6-11, 4-4 PAC) trailing 38-35 at the break, Wallace set the tone early in the second half with six of the team's first eight points. His second-chance bucket at the 17:28 mark brought Allegheny within one point of the Presidents (13-4, 6-2 PAC) at 44-43, and he made his only 3-pointer of the day approximately two minutes later to make it a two-point difference, 48-46. Trailing 52-46, Wallace and fellow big man Pijus Latauskas (Vilnius, Lithuania/Kiski Prep (Pa.)) combined to even the score at 55-all. After four points from Wallace, Latauskas converted an and-one at the 12:22 mark to tie the game for the first time since the two teams were deadlocked at 15-all in the first half. 

W&J rebounded by scoring the next nine points, and the Presidents held onto their advantage until the final whistle. A 3-pointer from Lincoln Brockmeyer (Akron, Ohio/Copley) and a bucket from Wallace gave the Gators a mini five-point run, but the hosts answered with seven in a row to push their lead to double digits at 71-60. Latauskas added another three-point play with a foul shot on Allegheny's next possession, but the next three offensive chances all ended with turnovers, stalling any chances for a late comeback.

Inside the Box Score

• Allegheny shot 56.0% (14-of-25) in the second half, the best by either team in a half, and 46.7% (28-of-60) for the contest.
• W&J was just one percentage point better with a 47.7 field-goal percentage (31-of-65).
• The Gators won the battle on the boards with a  40-to-32 advantage in rebounds.
• Turnovers loomed large, as the Presidents posted 17 steals on 25 Allegheny giveaways, leading to a game-high 32 points off turnovers for W&J.
• Wallace logged a game-high 24 points and collected seven rebounds.
• Latauskas added 16 points with seven rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal.
• Senior guard Ryan Lang (Sarver, Pa./Knoch) posted a double-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and a team-high five assists.
• Brockmeyer and Eli Teslovich (Belle Vernon, Pa./Shady Side Academy) added eight and seven points, respectively.
• Five different players reached double figures for W&J, led by Nathan Plotner (18), Alex Acosta (15), and Michael Plasko (15).

News and Notes

• Saturday's game marked Allegheny's first loss of the year when outrebounding its opponent (4-1).
• Allegheny's 46.7 field-goal percentage is its fourth-best of the season and the highest since shooting 51.9% against Carnegie Mellon University on December 18.
• Wallace scored a season-high 24 points, more than double his previous best of 11 points against Thiel College on January 7.
• Latauskas reached double digits for the 13th time in his freshman campaign.
• Lang earned his third consecutive double-double, increasing his career total to six double-doubles in just one week.

Up Next
The Gators will welcome Geneva College to the David V. Wise Center on Wednesday, January 28, at 8 p.m.