WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Feb. 13) – The Waynesburg University men's basketball team hosted Thiel on Wednesday night for the final regular season home game of the year at the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse. The Yellow Jackets battled the Tomcats over an entertaining 40 minutes and sent the home crowd home happy following a 75-72 triumph.
 
Waynesburg (8-16, 7-8), which has won three of its last four President's Athletic Conference (PAC) games, boasted a balanced offensive attack that featured four different double-digit scorers. Sophomore guard Matt Popeck (Washington, Pa. / Washington) led the charge with his first double-double of the season. He tallied a team-high 18 points on seven-of-14 shooting, while also tying for the game lead with 10 rebounds. He also tied for the game lead with three assists.
 
The entirety of the Yellow Jackets' latest win was a tightly contested affair. The largest lead produced by either team in the first half was just six points, which came on two separate occasions in the latter minutes of the period. By the time halftime rolled around, the Jackets led by just one (38-37) after Thiel (7-17, 5-10) tallied the final five points of the opening 20 minutes.
 
The first half featured 11 lead changes and seven ties before reaching its conclusion.
 
The second half started in much the same fashion as the first, with the two teams exchanging leads and ties over the first 12 minutes of competition. Waynesburg was finally able to gain a firm grasp of the lead thanks to a 6-0 surge that featured field goals from Popeck, senior wing Jake Dougherty (New Bethlehem, Pa. / Redbank Valley) and junior wing Brennan Smith (New Cumberland, W.Va. / Oak Glen). Following the run, the Jackets found themselves ahead 66-58 with 6:15 showing on the game clock.
 
However, the Tomcats weren't quite ready to concede defeat and answered with an 11-3 run of their own that tied the score at 69-69 with 3:21 left to play. An old- fashioned three-point play with just over a minute remaining in the contest gave Thiel the lead back at 72-71.
 
The advantage was short-lived, thanks to senior wing Nate Gearhart (Huntingdon, Pa. / Huntingdon) drawing a foul and connecting on both of his ensuing free throws. Defense reigned over the final 60 seconds of play, with both teams committing what could have been costly turnovers. The Jackets were finally able to put the game away thanks to senior guard Frank Bozicevic (Monroeville, Pa. / Gateway) forcing the Tomcats into the final turnover of the night and dropping in the last two foul shots of an entertaining evening.
 
The visitors got off a potential game-tying three pointer, but the attempt missed the mark and the Orange and Black breathed a sigh of relief in front of its home crowd and a happy head coach Mark Christner.
 
"There was a great fight to us tonight. We have grown on the defensive end to the point where we won tonight on that end of the court," Christner said. "This was tournament-type resolve displayed by our group."
 
Smith and Gearhart joined Popeck as double-digit scorers by each tallying 15 points in the win. Dougherty chipped in 13 points on an efficient five-of-seven shooting night that included a three-of-five evening from three-point range.
 
Waynesburg's nine three pointers countered a huge Thiel advantage from the free throw line. The Tomcats went 17-of-24 from the stripe, while the Jackets made just six-of-nine. Waynesburg was the more efficient team from the floor overall, connecting on 48 percent (30-of-62) of its attempts, while holding the Cats to a 26-of-66 showing (39.4 percent).
 
Waynesburg wraps up its regular season schedule Saturday with a road trip to Bethany. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. Regardless of the outcome, the Jackets will travel for the first round of the PAC playoffs as either the fifth or sixth seed. That game is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 19.