MEADVILLE, Pa. – The Thiel College men's basketball team lost a non-conference game on the road Tuesday to the Allegheny Gators, 82-68.
 
Nyric Gosley (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) tied up the game for the Tomcats (34-34) with 3:22 remaining in the first half, but Jordan Rawls scored on a pair of free throws and a layup to give the Gators a four-point edge at halftime.
 
The Gators led by nine points early in the second half, but Chima Omeihe (Lake Worth, Fla./Park Vista Community) gave the Tomcats a one-point edge (52-51) on a layup with 12:37 remaining. Thiel went on to lead by as many as five points, but Allegheny took the lead back for good with 6:06 remaining on a layup by Caden Hinckley.
 
Daquan Simmons (Capitol Heights, Md./Central) led the Tomcats with 23 points while also contributing five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Simmons made 7-of-16 shots from the floor and 6-of-11 from three-point range.
 
Omeihe came off the bench to record a double-double with 15 points and a team-best 11 rebounds. Michael Ricks (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland School of Architecture and Design) contributed 12 points and five rebounds.
 
Rawls scored a game-high 24 points for the Gators. He also pulled down 10 rebounds and recorded three assists, three blocks and three steals. Hinckley corralled a game-best 15 rebounds to go along with 16 points, nine assists and five blocks. Brian Roberts Jr. and Keeno Holmes also scored 16 and 14 points, respectively.
 
The Tomcats will return to action Tuesday, Dec. 31 when they face the Division II Lake Erie College Storm on the road. The game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.