Meadville, Pa. – It was a back and forth tussle between the Oberlin College men's basketball team and the Allegheny College Gators at the David V. Wise Center. Despite three Yeomen scoring in double figures, and junior big man Randy Ollie recording his first double-double performance of the season, the Gators outlasted the Oberlin men, 62-56.
 
In the opening minutes, the two sides exchanged the lead until the Yeomen gained a seven-point advantage. Ollie knocked down a pair of free throws before senior guard Miles Gueno hit a three-ball, giving Oberlin an 11-4 lead with 12:40 left in the first half.
 
Ollie finished with a season-high 10 rebounds and 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting with two steals and one block.
 
Missed shots and turnovers in the following Yeomen possessions allowed the Gators to compose a 16-5 run and take a 23-16  advantage at the 5:04 mark. Another three-point jumper from Gueno stopped the bleeding at 4:49, but the Gators maintained their cushion as the first session wound down and took a 28-24 lead into the half.
 
In the early stages of the second stanza, Allegheny stayed on top of the Yeomen, despite the efforts of sophomore guard Nathan Cohen who was responsible for seven of the first 11 second-half points for the Yeomen. Cohen would finish tied with a team-high 12 points.
 
A Cohen 3-pointer at the 12:23 mark drew the Yeomen back within three, 38-35. A layup from Zach Meyers and a successful free throw from senior point guard Jesse Neugarten brought the game even at 38-38 with 10:59 left in the game.
 
An Ollie layup and pair of free throws from Ian Campbell pulled the Yeomen in front, 42-38. Oberlin surrendered the lead, but quickly regained it and extended their advantage to five with 6:34 left on another inside bucket from Ollie.
 
The Gators cut the lead to one, 50-49 with a couple of made free throws before Scott Miller hit a 3-pointer to give the Yeomen some breathing room. Miller accompanied Cohen with a career-high 12-point performance on 4-of-6 shooting, including a 3-of-5 effort from three-point land.
 
With 3:32 on the clock, the Gator's Chris Milton pushed Allegheny ahead by one before a jumper by Meyers reclaimed the lead for Oberlin on the ensuing possession. Another Gator bucket steered control their way, but an Ollie free throw tied the game for the second and final time with 2:07 remaining.
 
From there, the Gators took over. In the final 2:00, Allegheny produced a 6-point run to close the game. Cohen missing a three-point ball, along with a pair of turnovers spelled disaster for the Yeomen in the final minutes of the showdown, leaving the Oberlin men with their fifth North Coast Athletic Conference loss of the season.
 
The tight loss in Meadville leaves the Yeomen at 6-8 overall and 2-5 in the NCAC.
 
Next up for Head Coach Isaiah Cavaco and company are the Hiram College Terriers. The Yeomen will travel to Hiram, Ohio on Saturday, January 17, to square off with the 8-6 Terriers. Tip off is slated for 1 p.m.