FROSTBURG, Md. (Nov. 22) – After falling way behind in the second half on Tuesday night, the Waynesburg University men's basketball team looked like it was heading for its second-straight loss to open the 2016-17 season. However, the veteran core of the Yellow Jackets was finally able to re-spark the team's offense and snatch away a 67-66 victory at Frostburg State.
Waynesburg (1-1) led for the majority of the first half and built up leads as large as seven points over the first 20 minutes of play, before settling for a 24-23 advantage heading into the locker room. The Bobcats (1-3) moved ahead of the visiting team early in the second half, but led by just two points with 14:16 remaining in the contest.
It was at that point that the home team began widening its advantage, first by going on an 11-2 run that expanded its lead to 46-35 with 10 minutes left to play in the game. FSU went ahead by as many as 16 points (54-38) with 7:48 showing on the game clock and looked poised to even its season record at 2-2.
Waynesburg never lost its composure, despite finding itself in a deep hole against the Red and Black. Its comeback began with four-straight points coming from free throws by senior guards
Christian Koroly and
Timmy Kaiser. After a successful foul shot by Frostburg, Kaiser knocked down two more from the stripe to make the score 55-44 with 6:21 left in the game.
The two teams continued to exchange tries from the charity line, before sophomore wing
Brennan Smith dropped in a layup with just under six minutes showing on the clock. Senior wing
Jon Knab followed with a layup of his own that brought the deficit down to single digits (58-49) around a minute later.
Waynesburg answered two more Frostburg free throws with a 10-0 run that sliced the Bobcat lead all the way down to two points (61-59) with 2:26 showing on the clock. Knab, Smith, Koroly, freshman
Nick Valentic and freshman
Jo Jo West all scored during the surge.
An FSU field goal ended the run and returned its lead to two baskets at 63-59. However, the hoop was merely a bit of a speed bump for the now-red hot Jackets, who finally regained the lead (65-63) after back-to-back three-pointers by Kaiser and Koroly.
The Bobcats tied the score at 65-65 with one minutes left in the game. Once again, Waynesburg's proven veterans did what was necessary for victory, as Knab took a feed from Kaiser, cut to the basket and laid in the eventual game-winning hoop with 46 seconds on the clock.
Frostburg had a chance to tie the game and possibly send it to overtime, but just one-of-two foul shots found the mark with 15 seconds remaining in the contest. The Jackets proceeded to miss two free throws of their own, but were able to thwart a last-second three-pointer by the Bobcats and hang on for the win.
Knab just missed out on a double-double after tying for the game lead with 15 points and pulling down a contest-best nine rebounds. Koroly made five-of-seven from the field en route to a 14-point effort, while Kaiser chipped in 11 and dished out a game and personal collegiate-best eight assists.
Valentic came off the bench to add eight points to the winning effort.
Waynesburg will get a few days off to enjoy Thanksgiving, before traveling to upstate New York to compete in the University of Rochester's UR/Holiday Inn Airport Tournament. Waynesburg will face the host Yellow Jackets on Friday. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. The Jackets will face either Vassar or Elmira on Saturday.
