HIRAM, Ohio -- The Hiram College men's basketball team recorded a 67-62 home victory over NCAC rival Allegheny (Pa.) on Wednesday evening.
The Terriers are now 13-5 on the season and 7-4 in NCAC play, while the Gators drop to 2-16, 2-9.
Senior J.J. Woodson (Oakwood Village, Ohio/Bedford) led Hiram with a solid all around game, finishing with 24 points, six assists and five rebounds.
Sophomore Paul Ortiz (Canton, Ohio/McKinley Senior) added 18 points and junior Joe Caspio(Willowick, Ohio/Eastlake North) finished with 11 points and a career-high eight rebounds.
The Terriers slowly built up a lead early in the game, taking a 15-4 advantage with 8:52 left in the first half.
Hiram would build a 34-18 lead after the first half of play.
In the second half, a trey by Ortiz at the 17:30 mark gave the Terriers their largest lead of the game at 42-20.
The Gators would slowly begin to chip away at the Hiram led, beginning with a 10-3 run to pull within 15 points at 45-30.
Allegheny would use a 14-3 run to creep closer and cut the Terrier lead to 50-44 with 9:08 left to play.
Hiram answered and was able to push its lead back out to 12 points, 61-49, on a Woodson layup with 5:40 remaining in the contest.
The Gators would not go away and a hoop by Brandon Smith cut The Terriers lead to 64-62 with 41 seconds left.
Woodson would get fouled on the ensuing possession and split a pair of free throws to make the score 65-62 in favor of Hiram
Allegheny's Andrew Sestina had a look at the game tying 3-pointer with 15 seconds left but missed it long.
Caspio pulled down the rebound and was immediately fouled. He stepped up and made the first free throw but missed the second. Junior Jeremiah Thomas (Cleveland, Ohio/John Hay) was able to grab the offensive rebound and was fouled, putting the game away.
Hiram finished the game 26-of-63 (41.3 percent) from the field, while the Gators were 22-of-59 (37.3 percent). Both teams struggled from beyond the arc, with the Terriers shooting 6-of-25 (24.0 percent) and Allegheny going 3-of-20 (15.0 percent).
The Gators won the rebounding battle 44-38.
Hiram will play next on Saturday, as they travel to take on No. 7-ranked Ohio Wesleyan at 3 p.m.