BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – In their final game before the winter break, the Geneva men's basketball team earned a narrow win over the Allegheny College Gators inside Metheny Fieldhouse, 83-80. Despite Allegheny taking a double-digit lead midway through the first half, the GTs did not lie down, coming all the way back for an important Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) victory. Geneva now sports a 5-4 overall record, 2-0 in PAC play, while the Gators fall to 2-4, 1-1 in the PAC.

Allegheny opened the scoring with a three-pointer on its first possession, but the men responded with two triples of their own from senior Jonathan Bertovich, who came into the contest with momentum following four consecutive performances with 17 points or more. Eight straight Gator points allowed the visitors to regain the advantage, but a high-flying dunk by sophomore Tommy Coletti and a three-pointer by senior Nick Million kept Geneva close.

Following the Million three-ball, the Gators went on a 13-2 run that gave them their largest lead of the night, 28-15, at the 8:57 mark of the first half. The Golden Tornadoes struck back with an 11-0 run of their own, buoyed by five Bertovich points and a physical put-back layup from sophomore Austin Matthews. Allegheny slowly grew its lead back up to eight points, but consecutive buckets by senior Trey Barker toward the end of the half made it a three-point game, and Geneva went into the break trailing 41-38.

Matthews gave the men an immediate jolt out of the half, scoring in the paint on the GTs' first two possessions to give them a slight edge, 42-41. Barker nailed a three-pointer on the very next possession, making it a two-point game, but Allegheny kept coming right back down the court and scoring. The two sides traded buckets for a while, with neither team able to secure more than a three-point advantage until the 8:55 mark of the second half, when Bertovich hit two free throws to put the men in front 65-61.

A Coletti three-pointer with five minutes to play gave the Golden Tornadoes a six-point lead. Another three from Barker on Geneva's next possession made the score 78-71, Geneva's largest lead of the contest to that point, and Matthews extended that difference to nine points with a layup in close at the 2:35 mark. The Gators fought to come back at the end, but the men had built up enough of a lead to weather the storm, securing the win 83-80.

The GTs shot 48.3% from the field as a team, including an excellent 11-of-24 (45.8%) from behind the arc. Bertovich led the way with 22 points on 6-of-11 shooting, knocking down 4-of-7 three-pointers while dishing out four assists. Barker had a 19-point, six-rebound night, and Coletti rounded out the double-digit scorers with 17 points of his own. Million was the team's leading rebounder, grabbing seven boards to go with seven points.

"It was a gritty win," commented head coach Jeff Santarsiero afterward. "Allegheny shot the ball so well out of the gate, but we settled in as the first half wound on. Our bench played a huge role in today's game, helping us out after we got in foul trouble. Austin got us going when their big guys got in foul trouble, and JB and Trey had some big possessions for us, both offensively and defensively. It was an important win for us."

The men will have a three-week break before their next game, returning to play after Christmas with a contest against Wooster on Monday. December 29^th as part of the Wooster Kiwanis Classic. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.

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).