WOOSTER, Ohio – On a night in which Justin Hallowell set the North Coast Athletic Conference record for career threes, the senior forward paced an incredible attack with a game-high 28 points as nationally-ranked No. Wooster secured its 16th consecutive 20-win season with a 91-61 victory over Allegheny at Timken Gymnasium.
Allegheny enjoyed a sensational start and forced Wooster into a timeout after racing out to a 13-8 lead four minutes into the action. Devone McLeod and Kyle Murphy combined to go 3-for-4 from the outside while James Ness made a pair of nice moves in the post en route to four easy points.
Allegheny continued to keep a strong pace, while turnovers hampered Wooster's initial ability to rally. The three-point shot kept the Fighting Scots in striking distance as Wooster didn't collect its first two-point bucket until eight minutes into the game.
Ryan Stanko gave the Gators a lift off the bench, knocking down two shots while adding a pair of free throws to push Allegheny's advantage to 29-22. Although the Gators' continued to play well, Wooster chipped away at the lead before finally pulling ahead behind six consecutive three-point shots. Allegheny cooled at the offensive end while the Scots continued to sizzle as Wooster went into the break ahead, 43-35.
Wooster, which outscored the Gators 14-3 in the last four minutes of the period, shot 59% from the field for the first 20 minutes, including 8-of-13 from beyond the arc.
The Gators struggled at the offensive end to start the second half, while Wooster worked fast in transition and made it look easy in expanding its lead past 20. The Fighting Scots, who have ranked in the top 15 in the country all season in field goal percentage defense, forced Allegheny into a series of bad turnovers and tough shots before cruising to the league win.
In addition to tremendous defense in the second half, Wooster also benefitted by one of its most efficient offensive efforts all season. Hallowell was absolutely sensational, going 10-of-14 from the floor including 8-of-11 from deep in 31 minutes. He also added a game-best 10 rebounds and three assists. Three other players reached double figures in scoring while the Scots finished the game a staggering 14-of-23 from the outside.
The Gators were led by McLeod, who scored 18 while adding three dimes and two steals. Ness added 12 and Stanko chipped in 10.
Allegheny, which is in a battle with Kenyon for the final playoff spot in the NCAC postseason race, will have a chance to secure the last bid against the Lords on Saturday in the regular-season finale. Kenyon lost to Denison on Wednesday, 73-55.