MEADVILLE, PA – The Wilmington College men's basketball team suffered its first loss of the season, falling to host Allegheny, 76-70, in the championship game of the Greg Richards Memorial Tip-Off Tournament Saturday.

With the Wilmington press starting the wear down Allegheny, junior Malcolm Heard II (Wilmington, OH/Wilmington) was forced to the bench with his third foul. WC was trailing by just one point at the 11:18 mark when Heard left the game. The Gators promptly seized control of the game by scoring 12 of the next 14 points.

Allegheny was able to get the Fightin' Quakers at bay at the free throw line. The Gators were in the bonus midway through the second half, going 13-of-16 while the game hung in the balance.

Heard had to deal with foul trouble for most of the game, picking up his second foul less than four minutes into the game. He wasn't the lone Quaker to have to work around the whistle as sophomore R.J. Leppert (Cincinnati, OH/Lakota East) and junior Taylor Wellman (Norwood, OH/Norwood) each fouled out.

Additionally, sophomore Dwight Johnson (Dayton, OH/Jefferson) and senior Brandon Candella (West Chester, OH/Lakota West) finished the game with four.

For the game, Heard led the team with 21 points and seven rebounds, while Candella and Wellman had 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Wilmington (1-1) returns to the hardwood 5 p.m. November 25 as the Fightin' Quakers travel to Crestview Hills, KY to meet Thomas More.