Allegheny 72, Ohio Wesleyan 54

Freshman post LaNiece McRae (Youngstown/Chaney) scored 7 points during a 13-1 first-half run that gave Ohio Wesleyan  the lead, but Allegheny came back to tie the game and pulled away during the second half in recording a win in North Coast Athletic Conference play on Saturday in Meadville, Pa.

Allegheny had taken an 8-4 lead on a jumper by Ann Ryan just over 5 minutes into the game.

McRae converted a 3-point play to start the Bishop run, then added 2 more baskets, along with hoops from freshman guard Sarah McQuade (Dublin/Coffman) and sophomore wing Julia Grimsley (Alliance).  When freshman wing Mary Corbett (Columbus/Upper Arlington) hit a jumper with 11:32 left in the first half, Ohio Wesleyan held a 17-9 lead with 11:32 left in the first half.

The Gators' Daryl Ford hit a jumper to end Allegheny's drought of 4 minutes without a hoop, but a Grimsley 3-pointer and a pair of buckets by sophomore post Tamra Londot (Utica) pushed the Bishop lead to 26-17 with 6:20 to play in the period.

Heidi Goeller helped rally Allegheny, bringing the Gators within 3 points with a steal and lay-in, then adding a pair of hoops during the final 2 minutes of the half, the latter tying the game at 31 with :12 to play.

Ohio Wesleyan was within 48-47 after McQuade hit the second of 2 free throws with 9:14 remaining in regulation time when the Gators broke the game open with a 14-1 burst that included 6 points from Ford and 4 more by Erica Restich, with a Restich lay-in capping the burst and giving Allegheny a 62-48 lead with 4:35 to play.

McQuade and McRae sank lay-ins to bring the Bishops within 63-52, but that was as close as the Bishops would come.

McRae led the Bishops with 16 points, while McQuade ended up with 9 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Goeller led Allegheny with 24 points and Ford contributed 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Box Score