GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Thiel College men's basketball team defeated the Allegheny Gators, 80-79 in a non-conference matchup Sunday evening.
 
The teams were tied at 21 with under seven minutes left in the first half. The Gators closed out the half with a 24-5 run, to take a 19-point lead into halftime. In the second half, the Gators led by as many as 25 points, holding a 57-32 lead with 16:13 remaining.
 
However, the Tomcats were not done. They chipped away at the Gators' lead, as the Tomcats only trailed 67-52 with 8:51 left after a 20-10 run. A 22-6 run helped the Tomcats take their first lead since the first half with 2:53 to play. With two minutes left, the teams were tied at 75. A two-pointer by Daquan Simmons (Capitol Heights, Md./Central) and a layup and free throw make by Ahmad Tejumola (Waldorf, Md./Saint Charles) helped the Tomcats win 80-79. The Tomcats outscored the Gators 54-34 in the second half.
 
Simmons led the Tomcats with a season-high 21 points, including three three-pointers. Tejumola notched his fourth double-double of the season with 14 points and 15 rebounds. He also added three steals and a block. Marlon Ellerbee (Temple Hills, Md./Oxon Hill) tallied 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting with two steals. Beni Lavodrama (Washington, D.C./Phelps ACE) and Andre Williams (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Boyd H. Anderson) each scored eight points. Lavodrama added six rebounds and Williams added two blocks.
 
For the Gators, Brian Roberts, Jr. scored 25 points. Caden Hinckley notched 12 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists. Jordan Greynolds also scored double-digit points with 13.
 
The Tomcats take the court at home against the Geneva Golden Tornadoes on Wednesday. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.