Wooster's Remarkable 48-Game Winning Streak Over Allegheny Ends, as Gators Upset 17th-Ranked Scots, 89-84

WOOSTER, Ohio – The 17th-ranked College of Wooster men's basketball team's remarkable 48-game winning streak against Allegheny College came to an end on Wednesday evening, as the Gators upset the Fighting Scots 89-84 at Timken Gymnasium.

Wooster (14-4, 8-3 North Coast Athletic Conference) climbed out of an 18-point second-half deficit. Junior Keonn Scott banked in a three-pointer in transition that gave Wooster the lead at 78-76 with 4:28 remaining, but Allegheny's (11-7, 5-6 NCAC) Jordan Greynolds answered right back with a go-ahead corner triple.

The Scots twice were within one in the final 70 seconds. First, sophomore Brandon Styers flipped an offensive rebound back in play, where senior Trenton Tipton took possession and drove down the lane. His lay-in made it an 83-82 contest. Next, senior Danyon Hempy knocked down two free throws with 31.6 seconds left to pull Wooster within 85-84.

Allegheny's big break came with 14.8 seconds left. The Gators' Brendon Urso came up empty at the free throw line, keeping the score at 85-84. Greynolds corralled the offensive rebound, was fouled, and upped the lead to 87-84 with 12.6 ticks on the clock.

Wooster's game-tying three-pointer hit off the rim with less than five seconds left, and Allegheny's Brian Roberts, Jr. came away with the game-clinching rebound.

Roberts' free throws with 16:12 to go upped Allegheny's lead to 57-39. Wooster went on to outscore Allegheny 39-19 leading up to the brief moment the Scots led in the second half. Scott spearheaded the comeback bid with five three-pointers, while Hempy tallied 14 of his 22 points during the 39-19 stretch. Sophomore Khaylen Mahdi factored in the mix as well with a three-pointer, three assists, and a hard-fought steal right before Scott made it a 78-76 game.

One of Wooster's strongest stretches on the night started with about 13:36 to go in the first half. Scott's jumper sparked a 12-2 stretch that ended with Wooster on top 20-17. Styers hit a pair of triples during the run, while sophomore JG Gillard was dialed in from range, corralled a pair of boards, and intercepted an errant Terrell Childs pass.

A late 11-0 Allegheny run bumped the Gators' lead to 44-29 before Scott knocked down a three-pointer just before the buzzer to pull Wooster within 44-32 at halftime.

Scott's 25 points marked the team high. He was 9-of-19 from the floor, which included a 7-of-16 line from three-point land. His five assists marked the team-high, while his four rebounds were one behind Styers for the team lead.

Hempy had four assists, three rebounds, and two blocks to pair with his 22 points, while Tipton was the other Scot in double figures with 12 points.

Wooster was held to 46.0 percent shooting (29-of-63) on the night. The Scots were 14-of-32 on three-pointers and 12-of-18 at the line.

Rawls' 27 points and nine rebounds were the top totals on the night in both categories. The Gators' standout was 10-of-20 from the floor and a perfect 6-of-6 at the charity stripe. Greynolds wasn't far behind at 24 points and seven rebounds.

Allegheny shot 52.6 percent (30-of-57) for the game, was 22-of-25 at the free throw line, and logged two more rebounds than Wooster (33-31).

Allegheny's last win over Wooster came on February 28, 1998, when the Gators topped the Scots 66-64 in the championship game of the NCAC Tournament.

Next, Wooster's off to Crawfordsville, Indiana, to take on Wabash College (11-7, 7-4 NCAC). Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 1.