WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Dec. 10) – Though the 2016-17 season is little more than three weeks old, Saturday's Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) showdown between Waynesburg and Saint Vincent had the feel of league playoff game. The Yellow Jackets built up leads as large as 15 points on the opposition, but the four-time defending PAC champions came all the way back and a last-second basket gave the Bearcats a 71-70 win.
 
Waynesburg (3-5, 2-2) came out firing and connected on 61 percent (eight-of-13) of its three pointers in the first half. Senior guard Christian Koroly knocked down three-of-five treys, while sophomore wing Nate Gearhart connected on half of his first four tries from downtown.  Sophomore wing Brennan Smith outperformed everyone by going a perfect three-for-three from long range. The Jackets' assault from downtown gave them a 35-28 lead at halftime.
 
The Orange and Black looked poised to put the game out of reach when it used a 7-0 run to turn a seven-point edge into a 44-30 advantage with 17:18 remaining on the game clock. Another three-pointer by Koroly 5:42 into the second period gave the home team a game-high 15-point advantage at 50-35.
 
Waynesburg maintained double-digit leads until halfway through the second half, when SVC (7-3, 3-0) began its run at victory in earnest. A 15-4 surge by the visiting squad gave the Bearcats the lead at 59-58 with just over five minutes left to play.
 
The two rivals began trading the lead on multiple occasions down the home stretch. With 2:30 showing on the clock, SVC held a 69-65 edge. However, the Jackets showed their mettle and managed to grab one more lead.
 
Junior wing Jon Knab canned the final trey of the game with 1:46 left on the clock to make the score 69-68. One minute and 20 seconds later, senior point guard Timmy Kaiser calmly knocked down a pair of free throws to put his team back ahead at 70-69.
 
Saint Vincent used a timeout to set up what wound up being the eventual game-winning layup with five seconds remaining in the contest. The Jackets were able to get a final shot away, but a buzzer-beating three pointer missed the mark and gave the Bearcats the win.
 
While Waynesburg dominated the perimeter, Saint Vincent's work in the paint and at the free throw line ultimately gave it the win. The Bearcats out-rebounded the host team by a 41-22 margin. They also connected on 21-of-33 free throw attempts, while the Jackets made just eight-of-13 tries from the charity stripe. The Jackets knocked down 14-of-24 treys, while SVC hit on four-of-seven attempts from long range.
 
Koroly racked up a team-high 18 points on six-of-nine shooting from three-point range. The veteran attempted just one shot from inside the arc and swiped away a game-high four steals before leaving the game with an injury. Smith chipped in 16 points and pulled down a team-high six rebounds.
 
Kaiser put on one of the finest passing displays in recent team history. His 13 assists are the most for a Waynesburg player since Beau Henderson dished 15 helpers against Lancaster Bible College in 2003. The veteran point man also dropped in nine points.
 
The Jackets will look to rebound from the disappointing loss on Saturday, Dec. 17, when they host Pitt Greensburg for their final game before Christmas. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.