WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Dec. 19) – The Waynesburg University men's basketball team hosted Hilbert for its final home game of 2017 on Tuesday evening. Powered by a superb game from senior wing Jon Knab, the Yellow Jackets knocked off the Hawks by the final score of 80-74.
 
"It was a gritty performance by our guys versus a very quality Hilbert team," said Waynesburg head coach Mark Christner. "I thought our attention to detail on the boards was very good."
 
The Yellow Jackets (3-5) outworked the opposition to the tune of a 38-30 advantage on the boards. Waynesburg held advantages on both the offensive and defensive glass.
 
There were limited opportunities for both teams in terms of grabbing missed shots, as the shooting on both sides was of a high quality. The Jackets connected on 48 percent of its attempts from the floor, while Hilbert (6-3) knocked down 49 percent of its field goals.
 
However, Waynesburg proved more adept at coming up with big plays on the defensive side of the ball. The Jackets produced 12 steals, six of which were swiped away by Knab, and swatted away four blocks. Hilbert recorded just one block on the evening.
 
Speaking of Knab, the All-Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) performer exploded for a season-high 27 points to power his team to victory. He converted on 10-of-16 field goal attempts and went five-for-eight from three-point range. He also grabbed five rebounds.
 
Waynesburg weathered a Hilbert shooting effort that produced a 60 percent output over the first half and trailed by just a point at 40-39 after 20 minutes of action. The Jacket defense ratcheted up its efforts in period number, holding the Hawks to 39 percent from the floor.
 
The game was ultimately decided in the final three minutes of play. With the score tied 70-70, Knab canned a go-ahead three-pointer and was followed by a layup from senior forward Marcus Wallace that gave the Jackets a 75-70 advantage with 2:35 showing on the clock.
 
Hilbert cut it back to a single-basket differential on its next possession, but another Waynesburg veteran, senior wing Kendall Paige, got to the basket for a successful layup that made the score 77-72. The home team found itself with the ball once again with a minute left in the contest and Paige converted on one-of-two foul shots that made the score 78-72.
 
Just one second later, the Hawks drilled two from the line to that trimmed their deficit to 78-74. However, Wallace came up with a clutch steal and knocked down the game's final two foul shots to seal up the win.
 
Knab's monster day on the court was supported by four players scoring between eight and 10 points each in the victory. Freshman guard Matt Popeck dropped in 10 points, while junior Nate Gearhart came in off the bench to contribute nine points of his own. Wallace and freshman forward Ben Vitovich chipped in eight points each. Paige pulled down a game-high eight rebounds and dished out a team-best four assists for the Orange and Black.
 
Fresh off their second-highest scoring output of the year, Waynesburg gets right back to work tomorrow with a road trip to Muskingum. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
"We continue to grow in being able to play in the present," Christner said. "We'll rest up and prepare for a tough OAC team on the road tomorrow,"