DELAWARE, Ohio – Second-year head coach Jim Driggs implemented a radical change to Allegheny's lineup in the second half on Saturday, and the shake-up nearly paid off against conference powerhouse Ohio Wesleyan, which withstood a tremendous rally by the Gators en route to an 82-70 victory at Branch Rickey Arena.

Allegheny's starting contingent was dominated by OWU's explosive collection of talent in a disappointing first half. Paced by Tim Brady, who finished with a game-high 23 points, the Battling Bishops shot nearly 60% from the field in the first 20 minutes while limiting Allegheny's offense to just 9-of-32 (28%) from the floor. While Ohio Wesleyan led by just one (20-19) midway through the opening period, a 28-0 run over the next six minutes – fueled by cold shooting and a series of turnovers – quickly turned a competitive league opener into an unforeseen blowout.

Trailing 51-26 to start the second half, Driggs looked outside his normal group of starters to provide a spark for Allegheny's struggling performance. Paced by three first-year players, the Blue and Gold responded with an outstanding stretch of basketball. The Gators outscored the Battling Bishops, 44-31, in the period, while converting 15 of their 25 field goal attempts. Conversely, Allegheny forced the OWU offense into 10 turnovers while neutralizing the Bishops' up-tempo attack.

Freshman Brandon Smith manufactured his first career double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while adding a pair of blocks in what was easily the best game of his young career. Gabe Seidman scored all of his career-high nine points in the second half while fellow rookie David DiBernardi also finished with nine after going 2-for-2 with seven points over the final 20 minutes.

Leading 79-51 with just over five minutes to play, the Gators young guns showed tremendous character by dominating the OWU bench down the stretch. DiBernardi buried back-to-back three's to ignite a 19-3 run to close out the game, while Allegheny orchestrated 10 fast-break points.

The Gators authored a huge advantage on the glass (49-33), but were plagued by a season-high 26 turnovers and an inability to knock down shots beyond the arc, where they finished 3-of-21. Once again, foul trouble limited senior standout James Ness' impact on the game. Closing the day with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, Ness fouled out of the game just three minutes into the second half.

Unlike previous games in which Ness has been resigned to the bench, the Gators were able to maintain an inside presence behind Smith and sophomore Sean Danaher, who enjoyed his most productive game at Allegheny with five points on 2-of-2 shooting and a career-best seven boards.

Fellow second-year player John O'Donnell added a career-high seven points in 15 minutes of action, while starting point guard D'Andre Corbin chipped in eight points and a career-high 11 rebounds.

Brady accounted for six of Ohio Wesleyan's 16 steals on Saturday. For the sixth time in eight games, Allegheny posted a negative differential in points off turnovers and second chance points.