MEADVILLE, Pa. (Feb. 4)- The Saint Vincent men's basketball team traveled to Meadville, Pa. for a conference matchup against co-conference leader Allegheny. After a strong second half the Bearcats came away with a convincing 79-69 win on the road.
 
Four Bearcats scored in double figures on the afternoon Shemar Bennett led the way for the Bearcats posting another double, double. Bennett finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while also posting one block. Osyon Jones scored 17 points while also grabbing two rebounds and dishing out two assists.
 
Mike Iuzzolino scored 15 points on a very efficient shooting night. Iuzzolino was 3-4 from the field, 2-3 from beyond the three-point line, and a perfect 7-7 from the foul line. Coming off of the bench, Tayler McNeal scored 12 points while grabbing five rebounds and dishing out three assists.
 
Jaden Gales scored seven points and grabbed nine rebounds and Andrew Reed rounded out the scoring for SVC with four points and three rebounds.
 
The visiting Bearcats got off to a very strong start, scoring quickly out of the gate. Just over four minutes into game action Saint Vincent held a seven-point lead at 11-4. Allegheny quickly clawed back with a 9-0 run that spanned a little over two minutes of game time to take their first lead of the game at 13-11.
 
Allegheny had increased their lead to four at 23-19, before a three-pointer from Iuzzolino cut the lead to 23-22. Allegheny's Caden Hinckley put in a three-pointer of his own to increase the Gators lead to 26-22. The Bearcats scored the next five points on three free-throws by Iuzzolino and a layup by Bennett as SVC regained the lead at 27-26.
 
The high scoring half continued as the teams continued to trade baskets on each end and the Bearcats lead held steady at 37-36 with a little over a minute and a half remaining in the half. After a couple of free throws from Iuzzolino and another layup by Bennett the Bearcats lead increased to five at 41-36 with 33 seconds to go in the half.
 
Allegheny scored on a dunk by Hinckley to end the half, but the Bearcats still held a 41-38 lead at the halftime break.
 
In the second half, just as they did in the first half, Saint Vincent came storming out of the gate. In the first minute and a half of gameplay, SVC outscored Allegheny 6-1 to increase their lead to eight at 47-39.
 
Saint Vincent remained on the attack after two layups by Bennett mixed in between a layup by McNeal increased the Bearcats lead to 14 at 57-43 with 13 minutes to play in the game. Allegheny wouldn't go down without a fight, the Gators went on an 10-2 run to cut the Saint Vincent lead back to six at 59-53 with under ten minutes to play in the half.
 
Over the next several minutes the Bearcats were strong on both ends of the floor as their lead held steady between 7-10 points. Free throws by Iuzzolino and McNeal sealed the road win for the Bearcats, 79-69.
 
The Bearcats were a very efficient 28-57 (49.1 percent) from the floor and 2-5 (40 percent) from beyond the three-point line. SVC also shot 21-30 (70 percent) from the foul line in the win.
 
Saint Vincent compiled 26 points in the paint and 11 second chance points in the win as well.
 
The Bearcats will return to action on Wednesday, February 8 when they play host to Thiel in a PAC matchup. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Robert S. Carey Center.