Box Score

ALTOONA, Pa. (Nov. 16) – A well balanced team effort saw four Yellow Jackets reach double figures in scoring, as the Waynesburg University men's basketball team earned a 92-86 victory over Mount Aloysius in the championship game of the Penn State Altoona Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament on Saturday afternoon. The win allowed the Yellow Jackets to open a season 2-0 for the first time since the 2007-08 campaign. Waynesburg, which won with no time remaining on the clock Friday night against tournament host Penn State Altoona, made things a little less dramatic on Saturday.
 
Jason Propst once again led the way for the Jacket offense. The junior forward nearly recorded his second double-double in as many games to start the season by totaling a game-high 26 points and a team-best eight rebounds. Junior Thomas Ellis was in double figures for a second-consecutive game with 15 points. Junior Bryum Louco and sophomore B.J. Durham each had 10 points for the victors.
 
Mount Aloysius (1-1) built an early leady until Propst converted a tip-in off a rebound at the 14:13 mark of the first half to give the Jackets a 17-16 edge. The Mounties battled back to gain six-point leads on two separate occasions, including a 33-27 advantage with 7:11 to play in the first period. Waynesburg battled back to take a 43-41 lead when freshman Christian Koroly made a free throw at the 3:11 mark before settling for a 45-45 halftime score.
 
Just as they did in the first half, the Mounties put together a strong start to the second period. Mount Aloysius pushed its lead out to 58-53 with 15:24 remaining, but that was when the Jackets turned the tide on their opposition.
 
Waynesburg pieced together a 19-to-six run over the next six minutes to take its largest lead to that point of the game at 69-61. That advantage swelled to nine (78-69) when Ellis converted back-to-back layups with 7:19 to play. Mount Aloysius cut the Jacket lead to a single point, but Waynesburg was able to halt the rally and seal up the victory. Junior point guard Casey Hope converted four free throws over the final 33 seconds of the contest to put the finishing touches on another successful night.
 
Waynesburg was solid from the floor, connecting on 44 percent of its field goals (30-of-67) and draining 28-of-33 free throw attempts (84 percent). Mount Aloysius out-rebounded Waynesburg 42-to-35, but turned over the basketball 21 times.
 
For their parts in leading Waynesburg to a 2-0 start in the season, Propst and Louco were honored as members of the all-tournament team. Propst averaged an impressive 22.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks over the weekend, while the speedy Louco scored 12.5 points and dished out 4.0 assists per contest.
 
Coming off an exciting start to the season, the Jacket men's team will next be in action for their home opener on Wednesday, Nov. 20, against Marietta. Tip-off between the Jackets and Pioneers is set for 7 p.m.