WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Dec. 4) – It was a big day for the Waynesburg University men's basketball team, as it hosted Franciscan for a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) battle. Playing in front of a raucous home crowd and honoring legendary former head coach Rudy Marisa during a halftime ceremony, the Jackets improved to 3-0 in conference play by downing the Barons 75-67 on Saturday.
The win gives Waynesburg (5-2, 3-0) its best start to PAC play since the 1999-2000 campaign, which was led by Coach Marisa. The Jackets are also off to their best seven-game start to a season since a 5-2 open to the 2006-07 campaign.
Saturday's game was billed as a battle between one of the most productive offenses in all of Division III and one of the stingiest defenses in the nation. Prior to coming to the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse, the Barons (3-4, 1-2) were averaging 97.3 points per game, which ranked them eighth in the country. Waynesburg's stifling defensive effort held the Green and Gold more than 30 points below that average. The Jackets were even more impressive in the first half, when Franciscan scored just 24 points.
Unfortunately for the host squad, the Baron defense was also having its best half of the season, as Waynesburg managed just 25 points of its own. The Jacket's one-point halftime edge grew to three following a layup by graduate student forward
Nijon Kirkman (Cleveland, Ohio / John Hay) 13 seconds into the second.
Back-to-back three pointers by Franciscan put the opposition up 30-27. The Baron advantage grew to four (44-40) with 11:08 remaining on the game clock. Shortly thereafter, Waynesburg went off for its first big offensive surge of the victory. The Jackets pieced together a quick 12-0 run that lasted just 3:04 and turned that four-point hole into a 52-44 lead.
Waynesburg issues at the free throw line played a role in allowing Franciscan to tie the game at 58-58 with 4:14 showing on the game clock. However, a layup from Kirkman followed by back-to-back field goals by sophomore
Jansen Knotts (Ridgeley, W.Va. / Frankfort) gave the Jackets some breathing room at 64-58 with just over three minutes left to play in the contest.
To Franciscan's credit, the visitors didn't wilt in the face of the Jacket defense and pulled back to within a single basket of tying the game at 68-65 with 41 seconds left to play. Though it was a day to forget at the charity stripe for Waynesburg, Kirkman knocked down one-of-two attempts to put his squad back up by four (69-65).
Senior
Matt Popeck (Washington, Pa. / Washington) came up with the play of the game as he not only forced a turnover with 30 seconds left on the clock, but he converted the steal into fast break layup. Ironically, the Jackets were able to put the game away at the free throw line thanks to four makes on four attempts by junior guard
Ryan Felberg (Twinsburg, Ohio / Twinsburg) that put his team up 75-65.
Popeck led a balanced Waynesburg offense that featured four double-digit scorers. The veteran guard tallied a team-high 18 points while also logging a squad-best six assists, pulling down five rebounds and swiping a team-high three steals.
Knotts came two rebounds shy of a double-double with 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Speaking of double-doubles, Kirkman dominated the glass to the tune of a game-high 18 rebounds and 13 points. Those 18 boards are the second-most by any PAC player in a single game this year.
Felberg's crucial free throws capped a 13-point day that included four assists and three rebounds.
Defensively, Waynesburg held Franciscan to 24-of-74 shooting (32.4%) from the floor.
The Jackets take a break from PAC play when they return to the court on Wednesday, Dec. 15. Waynesburg hosts Muskingum that night for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
