GAMBIER, Ohio – An offensive rebound and put-back by Kenyon's Cameron Bell with eight seconds left in regulation provided the difference as the Lords escaped the Gators, 73-72, at Tomsich Arena on Saturday.  Sophomore Ryan Stanko hit a three on Allegheny's previous possession to put the Gators ahead, but an unfortunate bounce off a tipped shot triggered the game-winning basket.

Stanko led all scorers with 19 points, but it was his final shot of the afternoon – a three from the corner – that marked his biggest stick of the game. The knock down capped a great comeback by the Gators, who erased a 12-point deficit in the final nine minutes of regulation.

With Allegheny leading 72-71 and nine seconds on the clock, Devone McLeod tipped Marcus Healey's attempted lay-up. The shot fell short, but landed right into the arms of Bell, who immediately went up for the easy lay in while drawing a foul. Bell missed the free throw, but the Gators turned it over following the rebound. Although Kenyon missed the front half of a one-and-one, Allegheny had only enough time to muster a 70-foot desperation heave that bounced off the glass.

McLeod was spectacular in the second half, and helped lead a spirited rally by scoring all 18 of his points after halftime while adding a career-high seven boards and four assists. Ness added 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting in his best offensive effort since topping 20 points in five of the first seven games of the season.

Paced by Bobby Theiss' game-high nine rebounds, the Gators boasted a 37-29 advantage on the boards. Unfortunately, Allegheny was hampered by turnovers. A game after setting a season-low with nine giveaways, the Gators turned it over 18 times. Kenyon scored 23 points off the turnovers including 16 in the second half.

Despite the loss, the Gators' resiliency reinforced a renewed energy for the youth-laden squad. Significantly improving its play since the start of the calendar year, Kenyon nearly became the third straight conference opponent to lose against the Gators' surging hardwood unit.

The Lords withstood the challenge by shooting 50% from the field while taking advantage of Allegheny's mistakes. Anthony Chun led the Kenyon attack with 16 points. Ikenna Nwadibia added 10, Dan Voight chipped in nine after going 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, and Bell closed with nine and a team-best seven rebounds.

Kenyon led by as many as nine in the first half, but the Gators rallied to slice the margin to 30-29 at the break. The Gators briefly took the lead in the opening seconds of the second half on a lay-up by Ness, but wouldn't lead again until a lay in by D'Andre Corbin with two minutes left in the game.