MEADVILLE, Pa. – All-American Ian Franks canned a 25-footer from the right wing as time expired and nationally-ranked No. 1 Wooster survived a serious upset bid by Allegheny on Wednesday, 76-73. With a blizzard brewing outside, inside the David V. Wise Center the conditions appeared nearly as tumultuous as Allegheny junior Devone McLeod set up the improbable finish with a contested fade-away three that tied the game with five seconds left in regulation.
It's tough to determine the bigger story line in the North Coast Athletic Conference tilt; the fact that the highly talented Fighting Scots (7-0, 3-0 NCAC) were able to counter every offensive strike by the Gators, or the fact that Allegheny produced play after play much to the chagrin of the heavily-favored visitors. Under the direction of first-year head coach Jim Driggs, Allegheny showed tremendous heart as it battled relentlessly from the opening tip.
Junior forward James Ness, who delivered an outstanding second half, set up Wednesday's exciting finish with a lay-up and the bonus with two minutes left in the game. The conventional three-point play pulled Allegheny within four at 71-67. Following a missed three at the opposite end of the floor, junior wing Donte Briscoe hauled in one of his game-best 16 rebounds and fired a long pass to McLeod, who laid in the easy finish to bring the Blue and Gold within two. After exchanging free throws, Allegheny, which trailed 73-70, was forced to foul with 13 seconds left on the clock. Nathan Balch, who hadn't missed a free throw all season (21-of-21), saw the front end of his one-and-one rim out. Briscoe again pulled down the board while McLeod swished a three over the out-stretched hands of several defenders. The thunderous enthusiasm of the home crowd was short-lived as Franks dashed the Gators' overtime bid with a game-winning shot from well beyond the three-point line.
Briscoe was absolutely sensational in the loss, adding 11 points to his career-high 16 boards en route to his second consecutive double-double. He also had six assists, three steals, and three blocks. McLeod scored 20 for the second consecutive game and equaled Briscoe's effort with six dimes. If Wooster has any flaws, Ness was able to expose one of them as his offense in the post created problems for the Fighting Scots all evening while the local Meadville product closed with 20 points, including 14 in the second half.
Wooster countered Allegheny's 32-24 advantage in the paint with an outstanding performance from beyond the arc. The Fighting Scots finished 14-of-29 from deep including 9-of-15 in the final 20 minutes. Franks, who was 3-of-5 from three, led the way with 19 points while Justin Hallowell was 4-of-6 from distance en route to 18 points. Starting guard Matt Fegan added to the perimeter assault with a 5-of-10 performance that resulted in 15 points.
Allegheny's largest lead of the second half was one point, although Wooster's biggest advantage of the tilt was eight points midway through the opening frame. After falling dangerously behind in the first half, freshman Ryan Stanko ignited a surge for the Gators by hitting three straight triples. He finished with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from deep.
In spite of the game's fast pace, both teams took exceptional care of the ball by turning the ball over only seven times. The David V. Wise Center has been a tough venue for Wooster, which has been the nation's winningest program across all NCAA divisions in the last 10 years. Last season, the Fighting Scots escaped with a 69-68 victory.