MEADVILLE, Pa. – Senior center David Thompson (Plano, Texas/Plano Senior) posted a double-double to lead three in double figures as the Case Western Reserve University men's basketball team grabbed a 74-71 victory at Allegheny College on Sunday afternoon at the David V. Wise Center.

The Spartans move to 4-1 for the first time since the 2007-08 season, while the Gators dip below the .500 mark at 2-3.

Thompson's second double-double in as many games comprised of 17 points and 13 rebounds. Overall, he has eight double-doubles for his career.

Also finishing in double figures was freshman guard Javi Alvarez (Coral Gables, Fla./Belen Jesuit Preparatory) with a season-high 13 points and junior forward Dane McLoughlin (Westerville, Ohio/St. Charles Preparatory) with 11. 

Josh Valentic was the top performer for Allegheny with a game-high 23 points.  

Allegheny led for most of the first half, twice building leads of 10 points, but Case was able to battle back to take a 37-35 lead with just over a minute left before the break when senior guard Tim Chung (Cypress, Calif./Los Alamitos) hit a three-point field goal to cap a 10-2 run. The Gators hit two late free throws and the half ended with the score level at 37.

The Gators jumped out to an early lead in the second half as well, but the Spartans refused to go away. At the 10:47 mark, sophomore point guard Jimmy Holman (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) hit a three-pointer to start a 7-0 run that included points by Thompson and junior forward Brian Klements (Willoughby Hills, Ohio/Willoughby South) to tie the game at 60.

Case later gained its first lead of the second half, 69-67, thanks to an Alvarez layup with 4:05 remaining. After Allegheny tied the game seconds later, the score would remain even at 70 for more than two minutes of play.

With 1:13 seconds left in the game, Chung gave the Spartans a 71-69 lead on a layup following a Thompson offensive rebound. Holman drove the lane on the next poessession and doubled the Spartan advantage with 30 seconds to play.

After Allegheny cut into the deficit, junior guard Julien Person (Houston, Texas/Second Baptist) made a free throw with one second remaining to give the Spartans the 74-71 final. Person finished the game with five points and four boards.  

Case returns to action on Monday, December 9, when it hosts Oberlin College at 7:30 p.m. at Horsburgh Gymnasium.