MEADVILLE, Pa. - Thiel dropped its first game against a Division III team this season with a 77-71 loss to Allegheny on the road Monday night.

Blair Rozenblad (Youngstown, Ohio/Kennedy Catholic) scored 22 points and pulled down seven rebounds in a losing effort. Ladell Trotty (Cleveland, Ohio/Lutheran East) recorded a career-high in points for the second straight game wth 19 and also added seven rebounds whle Aundra Jones (Youngstown, Ohio/Kennedy Catholic) had 12 points and eight boards.

The Tomcats (5-3) struggled to hit from long range, making just two of their 14 3-point attempts in the game. They also struggled at the line with a 59 percent night.

Despite those numbers, coach Tim Loomis' team was in the game in the final minute. A dunk by Aundra Jones (Youngstown, Ohio/Kennedy Catholic) put the Tomcats up 63-62 with just over five minutes to play, but a 12-6 Allegheny run put the Gators up five with 40 seconds left in the game.

Thel made it a one possession game with a Devon Adams (Philadelphia, Pa./George Junior Republic) jumper. The Tomcats had an opportunity to get the ball back with a chance to tie, but an offensive rebound by the Gators forced Thiel to foul. D'Andre Corbin, who scored a team-high 20 points, hit one of two free throws and Seth Eisner added two more on the next possession to give the Gators the six-point win.

It was a back-and-forth game for most of the night with 13 lead changes. Thiel led by as much as seven points while Allegheny's largest lead was eight.

Thiel will play its second conference game of the season Satruday when it travels to Washington & Jefferson for a 3 p.m. tipoff.