WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Feb. 26) – The Waynesburg University men's basketball team entered the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse on Thursday night with a chance to accomplish something that hasn't been done since 2006: win a semifinal game in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) tournament. Standing in the way of the second-seeded Yellow Jackets was third-seeded Bethany, which was looking to avenge a pair of lop-sided regular season losses to the host team.
 
The majority of the game was much more tightly contested than the first two meetings. However, the veteran-laden Jackets (18-9) finally wore down Bethany (17-10) and pulled away for a 70-57 victory. The win was Waynesburg's ninth-straight, which is the longest winning streak for a PAC men's team this season.
 
The two rivals battled back-and-forth over the entirety of the first half. Neither team led by more than three points over the opening 20 minutes of play. The lead changed hands five times and there were six ties before the Yellow Jackets went into the locker room with a slim 26-23 edge.
 
Things didn't get any clearer in terms of determining a victor over the first 6:32 of the second half. However, with the score tied 39-39, the Yellow Jackets put together the first significant run of the game by scoring seven-straight points. A three-pointer by senior Thomas Ellis, combined with layups from seniors Tyler Miller and Kenny Klase, put the home team ahead 46-39 with 11:23 remaining in the contest.
 
The Bison stopped the Waynesburg run with a pair of free throws, but the Jackets' momentum wasn't slowed for long. An old-fashioned three-point play from senior guard Byrum Louco made the score 49-41. The speedy veteran made it five-straight points by converting another layup that expanded his team's lead to 10 points (51-41) with just over 10 minutes left to play.
 
The visitors made one last run at victory by cutting their deficit down five points (54-49) at the 53:38 mark of the game. Waynesburg answered the challenge, before Bethany once again pulled to within two baskets of its opposition (60-54) with 2:58 to play.
 
The Jackets proved to be up to the challenge by putting the finishing touches on the victory with a 10-0 surge that didn't end until Bethany connected on a harmless three-pointer with 19 seconds showing on the game clock.
 
After shooting 35.7 percent in the first half, the Jacket offense started clicking in period number two, as the home team converted 53.6 percent of its field goals. Waynesburg also held a sizeable advantage on the glass, where it out-rebounded Bethany by a 44-to-27 margin.
 
The Jackets' typically balanced offense lived up to its reputation as four different players scored at least 10 points in the victory. Senior wing Jacob Fleegle tallied a team-high 13 points. Senior forward Jason Propst and junior guard B.J. Durham chipped in 12 points each, while Louco contributed 10 points, all of which came in the second half.
 
With the victory, Waynesburg advances to the PAC title game, which is being hosted by top-seeded Saint Vincent on Saturday, Feb. 28. The two teams split the regular season series, with both squads winning on their respective home courts. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.