Gators Drop Fourth Conference Game to Wittenberg

Jan 8, 2005

Boxscore

MEADVILLE, Pa. – Senior forward Meredith McDonough (Pittsburgh, Pa./Oakland Catholic) and junior guard Caitlin Murtagh (Bethel Park, Pa./Seton LaSalle) each had their season high in points with 18 and 16 respectively, but the Gators lost their fourth conference game to the Wittenberg University (OH) Tigers 66-55.

The start of the contest looked promising, as Allegheny scored the first six points and held Wittenberg scoreless until the 16:58 mark of the first half. Wittenberg chipped away at the score and eventually took the lead at the 11:54 mark on a lay-up by Ali Rohlfs to put the Tigers ahead 12-11.

Allegheny managed to keep it close throughout the first half, as Murtagh contributed 10 points and McDonough had seven. Although neither team made a three-point field goal in the first 20 minutes, the Tigers shot 65% from the field and 75% from the foul line. The Gators could only manage to shoot 30% from the field on 10-33 shooting.

Eighteen Wittenberg turnovers kept Allegheny in the game in the first half, as the Gators headed to the locker room down 38-29.

The shooting turned cold for both teams in the second half, as a swarming Allegheny defense kept the score within 10 points, but could not cut into the lead any farther. Defensively, the guard trio of Murtagh, junior Valery Medwid (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour), and senior Raelynn Miles (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry) provided tough backcourt pressure on Wittenberg, holding the Tigers to 28 second half points.

At the 10:47 mark in the second half, Miles converted two free throws to cut the Wittenberg lead to nine at 49-40, but that was as close as the score would get for the Gators, as they could not improve their shooting from the field, shooting only 29% in the second half.

McDonough and Murtagh turned in overall solid performances for the Gators. McDonough had 18 points, eight boards, and four steals; while Murtagh dropped in 16 points, to go along with two assists and four steals. Also for Allegheny, Miles chipped in with eight points and led the Gators on the afternoon with nine rebounds.

Allegheny drops to 8-5 (1-4 NCAC) on the year, while Wittenberg improves to 7-6 (3-1 NCAC).

The Gators travel to Oberlin (OH) College on Wednesday for their next contest, before returning home a week from today to face Ohio Wesleyan University.

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