MEADVILLE, Pa. – Junior Clark Tritto scored a game and career-high 21 points, and fellow third-year forward Marco Corona added a career-best 13 as Allegheny relied on an unlikely duo to carry the mantle in a 79-75 victory over Oberlin, on Wednesday at the David V. Wise Center. After a back-and-forth start that resulted in 13 lead changes, the Gators maintained the lead for the final 15 minutes and regulation and led by nine with 13 seconds left in regulation before a few uncontested shots late sliced into the final margin.
Tritto continues his emergence as one of the most improved players in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). A post-perimeter talent who has made a habit of filling the stat sheet, Tritto authored his best collegiate performance in notching his first career double-double. In addition to his scoring total, he added a career-high 14 rebounds and four assists, while shooting 9-of-12 from the floor.
Corona also delivered a standout effort. Checking into the game five minutes into the first half, he made his presence felt almost immediately, scoring five straight points during a 15-2 run that helped Allegheny build a 24-15 lead midway through the opening frame. Corona added five rebounds and two blocks to his second double-digit scoring performance of the season, while keeping Oberlin's super-sized forward Randy Ollie on the bench for long stretches of the second half with foul trouble.
The Gators outscored the Yeomen 44-32 in the paint, but didn't have any back-to-the-basket points. Allegheny carved up Oberlin in the opening frame with a series of hard cuts leading to easy baskets, and finished the opening half shooting 61.5% (16-of-26) from the field.
Allegheny cooled off in the second half, but took excellent care of the ball. The Gators finished the game with seven turnovers, equaling the fewest number of giveaways in a game since December 8, 2010. The team was also terrific at the line. Entering the game ranked ninth in the league, the Blue and Gold sank 15-of-18 at the foul line, including four straight by Ryan Stanko down the stretch.
Trailing by as many as 10 with three minutes left on the clock (73-63), Oberlin stayed in contention behind 11 offensive rebounds and a 13-6 advantage in second-chance points. The Yeomen also shot 56% (15-of-27) from the floor in the final 20 minutes, including 5-of-8 from three-point range
In addition to the strong play of its frontcourt, Allegheny's Josh Valentic bounced back from a tough shooting performance in the triple-overtime loss at Wabash, scoring 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, while matching his single-game season high. Stanko added 12 points, scoring in double figures for the sixth straight game.
Devone McLeod, who entered the game as the NCAC's leading scorer (17.7ppg), was held to a season-low nine points, but the senior playmaker dished out a game-high six assists and helped the Gators assert control during the second half. The nine-point effort snapped a streak of 16 consecutive games with at least 13 points dating back to last season.
Allegheny led, 41-34, at the break, but a 12-4 run by the Yeomen to open the second half pushed the visitors in front, 46-45, at the 15-minute mark. Allegheny responded with a 12-2 run, while maintaining at least a two-possession edge for the rest of the game.