Box Score

LATROBE, Pa. (Feb. 26) – Facing the defending Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) champions from Saint Vincent, the Waynesburg University men's basketball team showcased the heart and determination that have carried it to the best season in nearly a decade. The Yellow Jackets (15-12) fought for 40 exciting minutes, but a late run by the Bearcats (21-6) helped them escape with an 89-78 victory Thursday night in the semifinals of the PAC tournament at the Carey Center.
 
Waynesburg got on the board first when junior forward Jason Propst sunk an early jumper, but SVC answered right back with a basket of its own over the course of the first 1:30 of play. Those two scores set the pace for most of the evening, as both teams battled through a back-and-forth first half that saw neither team hold a lead of more than two points over the first eight minutes of action. Eventually, the Bearcats used a 7-0 run to grab a 16-9 advantage. The Bearcats had their biggest lead of the first half at 23-13.
 
The Jackets were able to get back into the contest, thanks in part to freshman guard Christian Koroly, who hit back-to-back three pointers and added two free throws as the Jackets closed to within one point of the eventual winners (28-27). Saint Vincent built its lead back up to as many as five points but the visitors refused to go away. Despite some early foul trouble and a sizeable offensive rebounding disadvantage, the Jackets used a 54 percent shooting performance from the field to hang around and cut their halftime deficit to 40-38.
 
After the second half got underway, Waynesburg continued to match the Bearcats basket-for-basket for nearly 13 minutes with neither team gaining a lead of more than three points. However, with the contest tied at 61-61 and 7:33 to play, the Bearcats put together the eventual game-winning run. Saint Vincent combined strong three-point shooting and stingy defense to build a 19-to-five run over the next five minutes, which put the host team ahead 80-66 with 2:15 to play. The Cats closed up the victory from that point on.
 
Koroly led the Waynesburg charge by scoring team and a career-high 19 points. Senior guard E.J. Coleman added 12 points, while junior Thomas Ellis racked up 10 points to complete a trio of double-digit scorers.
 
Both teams shot exceptionally well from the field. Waynesburg converted 29-of-60 field goals (48.3 percent) and Saint Vincent knocked in 26-of-50 attempts (52 percent). The Bearcats' big advantages came in rebounding (37-to-24) and free throw attempts (39-to-21).
 
With its PAC tournament run at an end, Waynesburg now awaits word on whether or not it will receive an ECAC Tournament berth.