The score was close throughout the first half, as both teams exchanged buckets and ultimately it ended deadlocked at 36 points apiece when the half ended. A decisive rebounding advantage for the taller Denison squad led to 24 first half rebounds, while the Gators could only pull down 12. Offensive rebounds were hard to come by for both teams and 13 Big Red turnovers, which the Gators converted into 18 points, kept the score close.
Junior forward Matt Majzlik had 10 points in the first half to lead Allegheny’s offensive attack, while Denison’s Robb Hern and Clint Shepherd chipped in with 14 points apiece.
Denison came out on fire to start the second half as they mounted a nine-point lead at 47-38 with 15:57 left to play. Poor free throw and three-point shooting hindered the Gators offense throughout the second half, as they could only manage to hit eight of 16 free throws and three of 12 from behind the arc.
By the 9:54 mark, the Gators were looking at a 15-point deficit after a three-pointer by Denison guard Tony Julian. A 12-0 run, led by five points and an assist from sophomore guard Casey McCloskey put the home team right back in the game with the score at 67-64.
Three points was as close as the Gators would get, as Denison converted on 14-16 free throws in the last seven minutes to put the game out of reach. Denison shot 83% from the foul line for the game, while the Gators only managed 52%. The Gators could not make up for the red-hot shooting of the Big Red, as Denison managed to shoot 61% from the field in the contest.
McCloskey and Majzlik led the Gators in scoring with 23 and 18 points respectively, while freshman guards Justin Schmitt and Bill Babe continued their strong play with solid games. Schmitt scored nine points, but more impressive were his seven assists and six steals. Babe dropped in 10 points, while collecting five steals, three rebounds, and three assists.
Junior forward Robb Hern of Denison had a career game for the Big Red with 32 points on 10-11 shooting from the field and 17 rebounds.
Allegheny will travel to Wooster on Wednesday evening to face the conference leading Fighting Scots at 7:30 PM.
Denison University vs Allegheny College 1/22/05 3 p.m. at Meadville, PA (Wise Center) At Meadville, PA (Wise Center) DENISON UNIVERSITY 85, ALLEGHENY COLLEGE 79 DENISON UNIVERSITY (7-9, 4-4 NCAC) Robb Hern 10-11 12-14 32; Clint Shepherd 6-10 2-2 18; Dan Hodgkinson 6-10 1-1 13; Tony Julian 4-7 0-0 9; Dan Izzo 2-3 3-4 7; John Wagner 2-4 0-0 5; Steve Koecheler 0-1 1-2 1; Chris Hull 0-2 0-0 0; Chris Eberst 0-0 0-0 0; Brian Gognat 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-49 19-23 85. ALLEGHENY COLLEGE (6-10, 3-5 NCAC) Casey McCloskey 9-16 4-12 23; Matt Majzlik 9-18 0-1 18; Bill Babe 3-9 4-5 10; Justin Schmitt 4-8 1-1 9; Alex Alper 2-2 0-0 6; Ben Torsney 1-3 3-4 5; Brian Schulz 1-3 0-0 3; Mike Sefscik 1-3 0-0 3; Quinn O'Brien 1-2 0-0 2; Larry Sharp 0-0 0-0 0; Chase McKim 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 31-68 12-23 79. Denison University............ 36 49 - 85 Allegheny College............. 36 43 - 79 3-point goals-Denison University 6-15 (Clint Shepherd 4-8; John Wagner 1-3; Tony Julian 1-2; Chris Hull 0-1; Brian Gognat 0-1), Allegheny College 5-20 (Alex Alper 2-2; Brian Schulz 1-3; Casey McCloskey 1-4; Mike Sefscik 1-3; Chase McKim 0-3; Justin Schmitt 0-2; Bill Babe 0-3). Fouled out--Denison University-None, Allegheny College-None. Rebounds-Denison University 42 (Robb Hern 17), Allegheny College 21 (Bill Babe 3). Assists-Denison University 10 (John Wagner 2; Dan Hodgkinson 2; Tony Julian 2), Allegheny College 19 (Justin Schmitt 7). Total fouls-Denison University 15, Allegheny College 20. A-205