Josh Valentic has come into his own as a senior, and his teammates have as well. Allegheny athletics photo

Josh Valentic is having another successful season with Allegheny, and his ability to play at a high level has the Gators aiming for their first winning season since the 2009-10 campaign.

The senior guard is averaging 15.1 points per game --- three points better than his season average a year ago --- and he has already knocked down 33 3-pointers.

The big difference? Confidence.

“I would say I’m probably playing with more confidence,” Valentic said. “I’m shooting at a high level because my teammates trust in me to make shots. When I take shots, I feel like it’s going to go in.”

Allegheny coach Jim Driggs said Valentic’s confidence comes from the way he has approached practice.

“He’s done a better job of asserting himself in practice,” Driggs said. “That has helped his success, and that success leads to confidence, which is important for any athlete.”

Valentic is in his third season with the Gators, who have come a long way since last season when they won only six games. Allegheny is 8-7 overall and 5-3 in the North Coast Athletic Conference.

“We went 6-19 last year and we were picked last in the conference this year,” Valentic said. “We came into the season with a chip on our shoulder. We believed we were a better team and we wanted to prove people wrong.”

Valentic has been instrumental in making it happen.

But his career didn't begin at Allegheny. After a tremendous high school career at Trinity in Washington, Pa., where he graduated as the program’s all-time leading scorer (1,655 points), Valentic took his talents to Wheeling Jesuit, a Division II school in West Virginia.

He played in 30 games and averaged 6.0 points per outing as a freshman for a Cardinals team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Despite his success, he needed a change.

“It was great playing in the tournament and I played well that year, but the school wasn’t the right fit for me,” Valentic said.

Allegheny had always been on his radar and transferring there made sense. The school is less than an hour from home.

“They recruited me in high school and my family is close by, and that meant a lot to me,” Valentic said. “When I got there, the team welcomed me with open arms. I fit in right away.”

He played in 19 games in his first season at Allegheny, putting up 10.5 points. Valentic scored in double figures 17 times last year and averaged 12.0 points, leading the team in 3-pointers with 47.

Valentic is even better this year and is part of a team with several players capable of stepping up on any given night.

That includes Evan Zabriski, who is averaging 18.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.

Brandon Smith is pouring in 11.2 points per outing and Chris Milon averages 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

“We count on each other and we play for each other,” Valentic said. “We have played well as a team and we are finding ways to win some of the close games we didn’t win last year.”

Driggs, who took over the program in 2010, is pleased with the strides the Gators have made, although a lot of work still needs to be done.

“I’m happy with the progress. It’s nice to see us win some close games and experience success,” Valentic said. “But we can’t get too high or too low. This is a good league and we have to keep getting better and be ready to handle any challenges we face.”

Valentic and his teammates are ready to do it.

“We’re going to start playing conference teams a second time, and that is always tough,” Valentic said. “We have to work harder, execute better and continue to play at a high level.”

Turning the tide

Adrian didn’t win a game in December.

But the Bulldogs are a new team in the new year, winning three of five this month, including a two on the road.

Saturday’s  56-46 victory over Albion was Adrian’s second road win of the season.

Adrian lost by 30 to Albion on the road a season ago but played better this time behind 13 points apiece from Ben Rodak and Riley Jackson, the team’s leading scorer at 14.7 points per outing. Rodak highlighted his effort with three 3-pointers.  

Adrian improved to 5-10 overall and 3-1 in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

The Bulldogs held the Britons to 25.9 percent shooting from the floor and have been solid defensively in league play, allowing only 55 points per outing and holding teams to 36 percent shooting from the field.

Vargas shines for Cowgirls

Sarah Vargas came through with her fourth consecutive double-double on Saturday, scoring 17 points and pulling down 16 rebounds in Hardin-Simmons’ 64-55 win over Concordia.

It was the fourth consecutive win for the Cowgirls, who are 7-8 overall and 5-5 in the American Southwest Conference.

Vargas  has been on a roll this month and was named the ASC Player of the Week on Monday.

The junior center is averaging 10.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. In the first eight games, Vargas never scored more than eight points. In the last seven, she hasn’t scored less than 11 points in a game.

Golden touch

DeAllen Jackson had the golden shooting touch in Mount Union’s thrilling 95-92 win over John Carroll on Saturday.

Jackson connected on all five of his attempts from beyond the arc and was 9-of-11 overall from the field en route to scoring a career-high 24 points.

The Purple Raiders have won two consecutive games and remain one game behind first-place Marietta in the Ohio Athletic Conference standings. Mount Union is 11-4 overall and 7-1 in the league and takes on the Pioneers Wednesday night in Marietta.

Jackson is having an impressive season, averaging 14.6 points per outing and shooting 58.3 percent from the field. He has knocked down 20 3-pointers and has dished out 44 assists.

Jackson has made significant strides since his freshman season when he averaged 5.8 points per outing.

Super Segarra

Berry rallied for a 75-73 win over Oglethorpe on Saturday as it stretched its home win streak to eight games.

The Vikings improved to 12-3 overall and 4-0 in the Southern Athletic Association. They are tied with Millsaps for first place in the conference and have won five in a row.

Chanlir Segarra was the story of the day in the win as she lit up the scoreboard for 29 points to help the Vikings overcome a 71-62 deficit with 3:43 to play.

Segarra scored six of Berry’s final 13 points and shot 10-of-22 from the field. She also grabbed six rebounds.

Segarra, averaging 17.4 points per outing, has scored in double figures in all but two games and has scored 25 or more in the last three games.

Marlins have momentum

Virginia Wesleyan used a strong second half to knock off Emory & Henry 85-62 on Saturday in Old Dominion Athletic Conference action.

The Marlins led 37-33 at halftime but outscored the Wasps 48-29 in the second half to nail down their fourth consecutive win and remain within a game of Randolph-Macon in the conference standings. The Marlins are 13-2 overall and 5-1 in the ODAC.

Khory Moore led a balanced attack in which five players scored in double figures, scoring 14 points. He is putting up 17.7 points per game and has hit a team-best 38 3-pointers. He has gotten the job done on defense, too, tallying 25 steals.

Redhawks rally

La Roche overcame a four-point halftime deficit against Pitt-Bradford to earn a 71-63 win on Saturday in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference action.

The Redhawks trailed 32-28 at halftime but opened the second half on a 10-0 run. La Roche didn’t allow the Panthers to make a field goal in the first eight minutes of the second half.

Sabrina McLin scored 21 points to pace the Redhawks, who remain in first place in the conference standings. La Roche is 11-4 overall and 8-0 in the AMCC. It has won its last four games and nine of its last 10 overall.

McLin has been La Roche’s leading scorer in six of the last eight games and leads the Redhawks in scoring at 17.8 points per game.