Box Score Box Score

GREENVILLE, Pa. (Feb. 11) – The Waynesburg University men's basketball team won its fifth-straight straight game on Wednesday night, when it made a road trip to Thiel College. The Yellow Jackets raced out to a big halftime lead then held on to pick up an important 64-58 victory over the Tomcats.
 
Waynesburg (14-9, 10-4) came out firing in the first half and built a 16-3 lead after roughly eight minutes of play. The Yellow Jackets maintained double-digit advantages throughout most of the opening period, before an 11-0 surge beginning at the 16:27 mark of the half allowed the visiting team to go into the locker room with a 38-19 lead. Wednesday's game marked the second-straight contest in which the Orange and Black held an opponent under 20 points in the first half.
 
A layup by senior Kenny Klase bumped the visiting team's lead up to 40-19 after the first basket of the period. However, Thiel (11-11, 7-6) battled back and cut its deficit down to 52-42 with 9:14 left in the game. The Tomcat comeback continued until the host squad trailed by just three (61-58) with just 16 seconds left in the game.
 
Luckily, the Jackets' defense was up to the challenge. After senior guard Byrum Louco knocked down a crucial free throw to give his team a two-basket lead at 62-58, Waynesburg forced Thiel into a missed three-pointer and junior guard B.J. Durham snared the defensive rebound before being fouled. Durham put the final touches on the victory with a pair of last-second free throws.
 
The Orange and Black was led by senior wing Jacob Fleegle who scored a game-high 15 points. Waynesburg's balanced offensive attack featured five other individuals who scored at least seven points each. Senior forward Jason Propst chipped in 11 points in the win, while Durham and Klase chipped in nine points each.
 
The Jackets survived a Thiel offense that converted 21-of-25 free throw attempts. Waynesburg made just 10-of-19 foul shots, but converted 25 field goals to Thiel's 16 successful tries from the field.
 
The win in Greenville, combined with a Thomas More loss to Geneva, moved Waynesburg into a second-place tie in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) standings with the Saints. The Jackets head to Bethany on Saturday for a clash between the two hottest teams in the conference. The fourth-place Bison won their eighth-straight game on Wednesday.