Box Score

WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Dec. 14) – The Waynesburg University men's basketball team hit the road on Saturday for a non-Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) matchup at Pitt-Greensburg. The Yellow Jackets fell behind by nine at halftime and couldn't complete a second-half comeback during a 79-75 loss to the Bobcats.
 
Waynesburg (4-5) scored the first four points on the game thanks to layups by junior point guard Casey Hope and junior forward Jacob Fleegle. After UPG (4-3) dropped in its first basket of the day, the visiting team responded with a layup from junior Kenny Klase and a pair of free throws from Hope to build an 8-2 advantage after 3:32 of action.
 
Unfortunately, Greensburg, which has now won four games in a row, took off on a 14-3 spurt that turned its six-point deficit into a 16-11 lead. That edge grew to as many as nine points on multiple occasions, and when halftime came around, Greensburg took a 39-30 lead into the locker room.
 
The Cats added to their lead with a layup early into the second half that moved them ahead 41-30. Things only got worse for the Jackets when UPG out-scored its opposition 21-11 over the next six minutes of play to make the score 62-41 with 13:32 remaining in the game.
 
To Waynesburg's credit, the Orange and Black never gave up on a monumental comeback try, and with 3:32 showing on the second-half clock, the Jackets took off on a 9-1 run that pulled the visitors to within three points (76-73) with 55 seconds left to play.
 
With just nine seconds to go, a UPG free throw put the home team ahead by four points. However, junior forward Jason Propst dropped in his team's final basket of the game to make the score 77-75. Unfortunately, the Bobcats knocked down two game-sealing free throws to bring the Yellow Jacket comeback try to a halt.
 
Klase led the Waynesburg offense with one of his finest games as a collegiate player. The Bethel Park native poured in a game-high 23 points on eight-of-13 shooting from the court, including a three-for-six effort from three-point range. Propst notched his second double-double on the season with 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Hope and junior forward Thomas Ellis also reached double digits in scoring with 12 and 11 points, respectively, while Hope dished out a game-high four assists.
 
Waynesburg was ultimately doomed by some cold shooting during the early part of the second half and shot just 34 percent on the day. The Jackets held a slight 42-to-35 edge in rebounds, and committed just nine turnovers, while forcing Pitt Greensburg to cough the ball up 16 times.
 
Waynesburg will look to bounce back from Saturday's defeat on Wednesday, Dec. 18, when it plays host to Hiram College. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.