MEADVILLE, Pa. – Geneva's men's basketball team outscored Allegheny College by 18 points in the second half, and cruised to a 65-48 victory on the road Wednesday night to start December with a win. It was another balanced performance offensively for the Golden Tornadoes, with excellent team defense in the second half also proving to be a difference maker. Geneva's overall record is now boosted to 2-4, 2-1 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), while Allegheny falls to 1-5, 0-3 in the PAC.

The men began the first half shooting very well, knocking down three three-pointers in the first minute and a half. Junior Jonathan Bertovich hit the first and third, with graduate student Ryan Rachic sticking one in between. A layup by senior Mark Rachic put the GTs in front 11-3, but at that point the Gators recovered, ripping off a 16-2 run of their own over the next four minutes.

A corner three from junior Nick Million put an end to Allegheny's run, and layups from Ryan Rachic and freshman Tommy Coletti brought Geneva back within two points. With seven minutes remaining in the half, graduate student KC Johns scored a driving layup to knot the score at 22, but again Allegheny pushed in front by way of a long jumper and a three-pointer. Three straight layups by Johns and the Rachic brothers gave Geneva a 28-27 lead with 1:37 to play in the half, but Allegheny scored once more before the break to go into halftime leading 29-28.

The GTs came out strongly in the second half, hitting three quick layups, one from Johns and two for Mark Rachic. That run forced Allegheny to take an early timeout, but the men picked up right where they left off coming out of the huddle, adding six more points to their streak before the Gators knocked down a free throw for their first point of the half almost five minutes in.

Geneva continued to build its lead over the next five minutes, with Johns and the Rachic brothers consistently finding space to drive and get shots in close to the rim. The Golden Tornadoes' bench performed well too, with junior Alec Srock scoring a couple of baskets down the stretch to push Geneva's lead to 17 points. Ryan Rachic put away a three-pointer and a jump shot with roughly three minutes to play to give the GTs their first 20-point lead, and the men rode out the half to win the game 65-48.

Ryan Rachic led an even attack for Geneva offensively, scoring 16 points to go along with six rebounds and three assists. Johns was next in line with a career-best 14-point, three-assist performance, and Mark Rachic recorded a game-high seven rebounds to go along with 12 points and three assists. Johns, junior Brayden Costea, and both Rachic brothers all had multiple steals in the victory.

"This was a good road win for us," said Head Coach Jeff Santarsiero after the game. "Our shot selection wasn't great in the first half, but we played much better in the second half. KC was the difference maker tonight. He was the floor general, and everyone followed his lead. I am happy for him and for our team. Now we turn our attention towards a big game at Saint Vincent on Saturday."

As a team, the Golden Tornadoes shot 50.9% from the field, their best mark of the young season, despite hitting just 5-of-20 from long range. On the flip side, the Gators shot 32.8% from the field, including just 25% in the second half. Allegheny's leading scorer was Ryan Lang with 12 points.

As Santarsiero mentioned, Geneva's next test comes by way of another road contest against Saint Vincent this Saturday. The game is a rematch of last season's PAC Championship, which Geneva won 83-63. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 PM.

Through purposeful learning in a community reflecting the full spectrum of God's kingdom, a Geneva College experience inspires students to discover a faith-life calling in service to God and neighbor. Offering 195+ traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality and affordability. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and the International Association for Christian Education (IACE).