Coming into last season’s second match-up between the two teams the Gators had won five straight in the series. Oberlin surprised the Gators at home, however, winning 66-62. Tonight the Gators got back on track, in both the series between the teams, and overall, snapping a five-game slide to open the New Year.
Neither team got off to a fast start in the contest, but Allegheny found itself with an eight-point lead with 12:55 remaining in the first half. The 19-11 advantage was the biggest for either team in the period, as Oberlin eventually chipped away at the Gator lead, and ended up taking a three-point lead into halftime, with the score 35-32.
For the half, Allegheny shot 54.5% (18-33) from the floor while holding Oberlin to 35.0% (7-20) shooting. The team also snagged 10 steals and turned the ball over just four times after the break while out-rebounding the Yeomen 21-10.
Babe led five Gators in double figures, collecting 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the floor. Ryan Hollihan (right) added 13 points, Ben Torsney and Casey McCloskey contributed 12 tallies, and Matt Majzlik scored 10 points. Hollihan led Gator rebounders with eight and blocked three shots, Babe picked up five steals, and Jimmy Savage added to the mix by collecting seven points and five assists.
Leading Oberlin was Quinton Spencer, who scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
The Blue and Gold return home on Saturday, January 21 to face the number one ranked (d3hoops.com) Wittenberg Tigers at 3:00 p.m. in the second game of a women’s/men’s double-header. The women’s team tips-off against Kenyon at 1:00 p.m.
Boxscorehttp://www.allegheny.edu/athletics/menbb/0506/html/allm0118.htm">Boxscore >