In a game that saw 20 lead changes, the Allegheny Gators held on for a 64-62 victory on Saturday afternoon from Livingston Gymnasium.

It was a back-and-forth battle in the opening 20 minutes of play.  With 1:22 seconds left in the period, Bobby Theiss hit a pair of free throws to give Allegheny a 38-37 edge at the intermission.  The see-saw battle continued throughout the remainder of the game as neither team gained more than a three-point advantage.

Down 60-59, the Gators' Clark Tritto scored a bucket in the paint to give the visiting team a one-point edge.  Dimonde Hale answered on the ensuing possession with a layup with 1:20 remaining.  However, a layup by Devone McLeod and a Kyle Murphy free throw with 1.3 seconds on the clock gave Allegheny its first North Coast Athletic Conference win.

The Big Red converted a 45 percent (23-for-51) clip from the field and shot 85 percent (11-for-13) from the foul line, while the Gators shot 43 percent (23-for-54) from the floor and 67 percent (10-for-15) from the charity stripe.  DU held a 33-29 advantage on the glass, but Allegheny scored 20 second chance points compared to 12 by Denison.

Hale finished with 23 points and nine rebounds, both game-highs.  The junior was 10-for-15 from the field and 3-for-4 from the free throw line.  Senior Brett Tiberi added 13 points, while Larry Farmer chipped in 10 points, nine rebounds and three steals.

McLeod led the Gators with 11 points, while Tritto and Gabe Seidman each added 10 points.  Tritto also grabbed eight boards and logged four steals.

Denison falls to 6-11 on the year and 3-5 in the NCAC, while Allegheny improved to 3-14 and 1-7 in the conference.  DU returns to action on Wednesday when they travel to Oberlin College.  Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m.