PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Devone McLeod's contested turnaround three from the corner sailed long as the buzzer expired, and Carnegie Mellon was able to hang on for a 67-64 victory over Allegheny at Skibo Gymnasium on Tuesday. The Gators held the Tartans without a field goal over the last 4:36 of regulation, but CMU closed 6-of-6 at the free-throw line to secure a key victory over its regional rivals.

There were nine ties and 11 lead changes in Tuesday's non-conference tilt while John Duhring sank a pair of free throws with 40 seconds left in the game to provide Carnegie Mellon (2-1) with a lead it wouldn't relinquish. On the previous possession, McLeod canned a tough, pull-up jumper to put the pressure on the Tartans. Trailing 65-64, McLeod had a chance to push the Gators (1-3) back in front, but his contested three from the wing clanked off the back iron.

Senior forward James Ness, who had scored at least 20 points in Allegheny's first three games, was held to his lowest scoring total since December 4, 2010. Ness, who entered the contest shooting 69% from the field, scored seven points on 3-of-9 shooting while adding a game-high 12 rebounds.

With the victory, Carnegie Mellon extended its advantage in the all-time series against Allegheny to 41-39. The Tartans won in the teams' previous meeting during the 1987-88 campaign.

McLeod paced the Gators with 14 points on 6-of-17 shooting, while D'Andre Corbin chipped in 10 points and a game-high six assists. Eight players scored at least five points in a balanced effort for Allegheny and the team shot the ball fairly well, especially in the second half where it was 14-of-29 (48.3%). A key stat that hampered the Blue and Gold's ability to level its season ledger was 21 turnovers, which turned into 16 points for the Tartan attack.

Allegheny scored the first five points of the night, although neither team led by more than six through the first half. Tied at 23, a pair of three's by McLeod and rookie David DiBernardi gave the Gators a six-point cushion, while the team settled for a 31-27 lead at the break.

The Gators scored six of the first eight points of the second frame to secure their biggest advantage of the battle at 37-29 although CMU scored five straight points to pull right back into the game. Allegheny led for most of the half, but the Tartans stayed within striking distance before finally pulling ahead on a three-point field goal by Rashaun Riley with 5:09 left on the clock.

Ryan Stanko, who came into the game shooting 52% (13-of-25) from beyond the arc, drilled his only two long-range attempts in the first half before the Tartan defense bottled him up in the second. Allegheny tried getting the ball into Stanko's hands on its final possession, but the sophomore shooter was unable to separate from the CMU defense.

Fellow sophomore Clark Tritto tied a career-high by scoring eight points on 3-of-3 shooting in 13 minutes of play, while rookie Brandon Smith totaled six points and six boards in 15 minutes of action.