WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Feb. 6) – There was plenty of motivation for the Waynesburg University men's basketball team when it hosted Washington & Jefferson on Wednesday. It was senior night for the Yellow Jackets and in a season where seemingly every game is a must-win for a parity-filled Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), the Yellow Jackets didn't disappoint a raucous home crowd that saw its team defeat the Presidents 85-67.
 
Prior to tipoff, Waynesburg (6-15, 5-7) honored this year's senior class, which is composed of wings Clay Carper (Cleveland, Ohio / Lutheran West), Jake Dougherty (New Bethlehem, Pa. / Redbank Valley) and Nate Gearhart (Huntingdon, Pa. / Huntingdon). All three veterans saw time on the floor, but it was the combination of sophomore guard Matt Popeck (Washington, Pa. / Washington) and junior wing Brennan Smith (New Cumberland, W.Va. / Oak Glen) that had the biggest impact on the game's final outcome.
 
Popeck went off for a game-high 26 points, 17 of which came in the first half to help the Yellow Jackets build a 42-37 lead at the break. Smith was a force on the glass. His game-high 14 rebounds combined with 16 points to allow him his second double-double of the season.
 
After W&J (9-13, 7-6) took an early 4-2 lead, the home team responded by scoring 16 of the next 21 points and led 18-9 6:24 into the game. Around 10 minutes later, a three pointer by junior forward Shane Johnson (Shadyside, Ohio / Shadyside) gave the Jackets their largest lead to that point in the half at 35-24. The advantage grew to 40-27 after a Popeck trey that was set up by junior guard Frank Bozicevic (Monroeville, Pa. / Gateway) with 3:37 showing on the first-half clock.
 
The Jackets led for the remainder of the opening 20 minutes, but W&J was getting ready to set off on its most productive stretch of the game. A 10-2 run that ended the period for the Presidents pulled them to within five points of tying the contest (42-37) by the time the two squads broke for their respective locker rooms.
 
Waynesburg rebuilt an eight-point advantage (49-41) in the early portion of the second period. However, the Presidents answered with a 10-0 surge that gave them the lead back at 51-49 six minutes into the half. The advantage was short-lived thanks to a Dougherty layup followed by a Smith field goal and a three ball from Dougherty that made the score 56-51.
 
W&J managed to trim its deficit down to three points shortly thereafter, but that was as close as the host squad allowed its opponent to get to retaking the lead. The Orange and Black rolled through the final 11:48 of the evening and closed out the victory in dominant fashion. Smith provided the most memorable moment of a memorable victory when he threw down a thunderous two-handed dunk off an alley-oop feed from Bozicevic that set off a thunderous reaction from the host crowd.
 
"I want to thank our students and the Waynesburg community for creating an awesome atmosphere for us tonight. It was really fun for our guys to play in and they responded to the fans' energy," said Waynesburg head coach Mark Christner. "W&J provides a difficult matchup for us and I thought our consistent energy and resolve were crucial in securing this vital win."
 
Dougherty joined Popeck and Smith as double-digit scorers on the night, leading all Jacket reserves with 11 points, mostly off three successful three-point attempts in five tries. Bozicevic chipped in eight points, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals to his team's winning effort.
 
Waynesburg's long range game was on-point all night, resulting in 13-of-27 makes from beyond the three-point arc. The Jackets also took care of business at the charity stripe, where they connected on 10-of-12 attempts. The Orange and Black was also very cautious with the basketball, turning it over just seven times.
 
The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Saturday, when they head to Saint Vincent for another crucial PAC meeting. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.