MEADVILLE, Pa. – It was a tale of two halves in the Gators' regular-season finale on Saturday. After a sensational first half in which it built a 16-point lead, Allegheny went ice cold during the second as Kenyon stormed back to post a 67-64 victory and clinch the eighth and final seed in next week's NCAC Tournament.
The loss marked a disheartening finish to a disappointing season for the Gators. Senior forward James Ness did all he could to extend Allegheny's season, scoring 18 points and adding 11 rebounds for his 13th career double-double. With 11:02 left in the opening period, Ness finished on a reverse-layup to become the 24th player in program history to join the 1,000-point club. The score pushed Allegheny in front, 10-4, and ushered a thunderous ovation from a strong home crowd.
The Gators were in firm control during the first 20 minutes, converting nearly 55% of their shots while forcing the Lords into a series of bad looks. Six players had at least five points as the entire rotation found ways to get involved.
A jumper in the paint by junior Devone McLeod extended the lead to double figures (23-13) with 5:46 left in the period, while a three by David DiBernardi and a traditional three-point play by Clark Tritto stretched the advantage to 32-18. The teams traded baskets down the stretch, although Allegheny got in the final word as Bobby Theiss finished on an inside jumper to send the Gators to the locker room ahead, 38-24.
Hitting two free throws in the opening minute of the second half, Ness pushed the lead to a game-high 16 points, and the Gators appeared poised to snag the final spot in the conference playoff race.
Turnovers plagued Allegheny during Kenyon's gritty comeback while six straight fast break points and a pair of free throws reduced the lead to single digits.
Kenyon continued its climb back into the game by getting to the rim and drawing contact. After going 5-of-10 from the free-throw line in the first half, the Lords were 18-of-25 from the charity stripe after the break.
The visitors' comeback was aided by an Allegheny attack that endured its worst shooting half of the entire season. Inexplicably, the Gators' offense struggled to find any rhythm while shooting 8-of-35 (22.9%) during the second frame.
Trailing 55-44 with just over six minutes left on the clock, the Lords orchestrated a 14-2 run over the next four minutes to grab their first lead of the game. Brian Lebowitz, who scored 19 of his 21 points after halftime, converted a pair of free throws to provide Kenyon with its initial lead while John Dunn knocked down a jumper to cap the run.
The Gators were caught trying to play catch-up in the last minute of regulation, but the Lords drained 8-of-9 at the line during that stretch to solidify the outstanding comeback and keep Allegheny out of the NCAC playoffs for the first time in four years.
Ikenna Nwadibia closed with a game-best 23 points and 12 boards. Lebowitz also had a double-double after grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds to go with his 21 points.
Ness paced Allegheny, although McLeod finished with 16 points. Stanko capped his season with 10 points, although the sophomore sharp-shooter was unable to get on track.