SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Allegheny Gators advanced to their first North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament Championship game in 15 years by defeating the Denison Big Red, 63-61, at Wittenberg's HPER Center. The Gators, seeded second after finishing the NCAC regular season with a 13-3 record, improved to 17-10 overall on the season and will take on defending champion and top-seeded Wittenberg in Saturday's title game. It will be a re-match of last year's NCAC Tournament semifinal in which Wittenberg walloped the Gators, 95-27.

The Gators led from start to finish, but it was never easy. After jumping out to a 16-3 lead to start the game, Allegheny's lead yo-yoed back and forth for much of the rest of the game. Denison got within five points at the 8:24 mark of the first half and then endured a Gator run to pull within four at the 1:40 mark before a three-pointer by Allegheny's Caitlin Murtagh pushed the lead back to 38-31 by halftime. In the second half, Allegheny again pushed the lead out to as much as 13 points before Denison whittled it all the way down to 50-49 at the 7:15 mark on a lay-up by Marissa Hard. A three-pointer by Denison's Caitlin Krupka tied the game at 53-53 at the 5:39 mark - the only time it was tied up - but Allegheny responded with a Kristen Lyzen lay-up 20 seconds later to re-establish the Gator advantage.

Down the stretch, both teams had many opportunities, but Allegheny made good on just enough of their to stave off the Big Red. Valery Medwid scored the last five points of the game for the Gators, including two free throws with just 14 ticks on the clock that made it a two-possession game.

Allegheny put four players in double figures, led by Medwid with 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field, 3-of-3 from three-point range and 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Jessica Kankoski added 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists, Murtagh added 11 points, nine boards and three assists and Meredith McDonough chipped in with 11 points and four rebounds. Denison, which was outrebounded 41-32 and made just 37 percent from the field, picked up 19 points and nine rebounds from Kristen Sheffield, 12 points and three assists from Emma Woodward and 10 points, four assists and four steals from Jessica McConnell.