WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Jan. 9) – The Waynesburg University men's basketball team hosted Saint Vincent on Wednesday night for a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) contest. The Yellow Jackets fell into a deep hole early and couldn't quite dig out of it, as the Bearcats left town with an 88-75 win.
 
The Bearcats (13-2, 6-0) came out red hot from the floor and built a 36-12 lead after 12 minute of play. Waynesburg (4-10, 3-3) didn't lose its collective head and managed to close the gap significantly before halftime. The home team scored six of the period's final seven points on a pair of field goals from junior guard Frank Bozicevic (Monroeville, Pa./ Gateway) and a basket from sophomore guard Matt Popeck (Washington, Pa. / Washington).
 
By the time the two teams retired to their respective locker rooms, Saint Vincent held a 46-32 advantage.
 
Unfortunately for the home team, the Bearcats scored the first nine points of the second half and proceeded to build leads as large as 23 points on two occasions before the sounding of the game's final buzzer.
 
Though the task of completing such a large comeback was a daunting one, the Jackets didn't 'shy away from it. The home team still trailed by 18 points with 5:37 showing on the game clock. However, a 12-3 surge finally got the Orange and Black's deficit to a single-digit situation at 82-73 with just under three minutes left to play.
 
The Jackets were unable to further close the gap as they managed just one more basket on the night, while SVC sealed the victory with six successful free throws.
 
"I thought Saint Vincent gave a championship effort to start the game that put us on our heels," said Waynesburg head coach Mark Christner. "Our guys showed toughness in battling back. We will keep working on getting better as the year rolls on."
 
Though it came in a losing effort, Popeck logged his fourth game of 20 points or more by tallying a team-high 21 points on nine-of-14 shooting from the floor. He added five rebounds and four steals to his latest showing on the court.
 
Junior wing Brennan Smith tossed in 14 points on four-of-five shooting from the floor and five-of-six from the foul line. He also yanked down a team-best seven rebounds and a squad-high four assists.
 
Senior wing Nate Gearhart (Huntingdon, Pa. / Huntingdon) and senior wing Jake Dougherty (New Bethlehem, Pa. / Redbank Valley) chipped in 12 and nine points, respectively, off the bench.
 
The game was ultimately decided at the free throw line, where Saint Vincent held an almost unbelievable advantage. The Jackets made just six-of-nine tries at the stripe, while the Bearcats benefited mightily from a 24-of-30 effort.
 
Waynesburg is back in action on Saturday, when it travels to Thiel for another PAC matchup. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.