MEADVILLE, Pa. – On the strength of 56% shooting in the second half, Allegheny was able to make a late push, but couldn't get the best of visiting John Carroll University on Wednesday night as the Blue Streaks (4-1) were able to hold on for the 88-82 win at the David V. Wise Center.
The solid shooting in the second half for the Gators (4-3, 0-0 NCAC) was a marked improvement from the first half, where they shot only 39% and were one-of-seven beyond the arc. On the other side of the court, the Blue Streaks shot 42% from the floor, but managed to get to the charity stripe 14 times and made good on 10 of those attempts.
The game was close through the opening 10 minutes with six ties and three lead changes. Neither team lead by more than five points during that stretch. After sophomore Daryl Ford evened the score at 19 with 9:34 remaining in the first half, the Blue Streaks answered back on the ensuing possession as Allison Lustig canned a three-pointer to give them a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the game.
Through most of the first half, the Gators were without sophomore forward Heidi Goeller who had to sit with early foul trouble. Goeller, who leads the team in field goal percentage, was only on the court for three minutes. In her absence, Ann Ryan filled the void admirably with four points and four boards.
Trailing by nine at intermission (42-33), Allegheny stumbled out of the blocks in the second half as John Carroll bolstered their lead to as much as 15 points on several occasions. Known so far this season for their resilience, the Gators never lost their composure and began to slowly chip away at the lead as time ran off the clock.
Leading the charge for the Gators in the final twenty minutes was senior guard Jill Gregory and an available Goeller. Gregory added to her eight points through the first half with 16 points in the second. Nine of her 16 points came from long range. She would finish with a game-high 24 points, setting a new career-high for points in a game for the decorated senior. With two fouls hanging over her, Goeller was able to avoid the cheap foul and logged 16 minutes in the second half. Her presence was a welcomed sight as she remained highly efficient from the floor chipping in 12 points while shooting 60%.
Ford turned in another consistent performance as she tied her career-high with 12 points and pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds en route to her first double-double as a Gator. Ford's double-double is the second consecutive such effort for the Gators (Goeller, 21 points-11 rebounds). Senior point guard Britni Mohney was the top distributor for the Gators with five assists, all coming in the second half.
The Gators will now shift their focus to this weekend as they open up conference play at home against Wittenberg University on Saturday, December 4th. The 1:00 pm tip is the first of an Allegheny basketball double-header as the men will take on the Tigers following the conclusion of the women's game. The women's game can be followed online through our live stats link: http://www.sidearmstats.com/allegheny/wbball/index.htm.