Maryville held a one point lead (34-33) at halftime, but managed to score only 28 points in the second half on 32.4 percent shooting from the field. The two teams battled back and forth for a majority of the second half, with the Saints holding their last lead of the game (58-57) at the 5:54 mark.
The Gators took over down the stretch, holding the Saints scoreless until Oetjen sank two free throws with 46 seconds remaining on the clock. The damage had already been done, however, and Maryville was unable to overcome a 10-point deficit.
Adding to the Saints offensive effort was sophomore transfer Allie Wilhelm. She finished 7-of-13 from the floor for 15 points. Junior transfer Toni Picerno added nine points, while sophomore Courtney Bergheger, who had previously held a seven game streak of scoring in double figures, finished with zero points, but she did grab a team-high eight rebounds.
Allegheny had two players record a double-double. Jennifer Latronica finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Stephanie Wolf had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Also helping the Gators in their victory were Katie Kestler (16 points, 5 steals) and Hilary Collins (9 points, 8 assists).
Maryville will finish play in the South Padre Island Shootout tomorrow (December 30), when they face University of Pittsburg-Bradford.