BEAVER FALLS, Pa. (Jan. 15) – For a second-straight game, the Waynesburg University men's basketball team faced one of the top teams in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) and one of the most dangerous individual performers in the league. However, unlike Wednesday's home loss to Washington & Jefferson, the Yellow Jackets were able to outgun a potent Geneva squad and pick up an important 78-73 road win onSaturday.
 
With the victory, Waynesburg (8-4, 4-1) is now a half-game ahead of idle Chatham for second place in the league standings. The contest also served as a stage for the top two scorers in the PAC: Waynesburg senior guard Matt Popeck (Washington, Pa. / Washington), who is in second place, and Geneva (5-6, 3-2) junior Lyle Tipton, the league's top point producer.
 
After being held in check throughout the first half, Popeck exploded for 26 of his game-high 31 points over the final 20 minutes of play. Following the victory, Waynesburg's star veteran remained behind only Tipton in the race for the PAC scoring title with a 22.6 ppg average.
 
With Popeck, and the offense as a whole, struggling to get off the blocks, Waynesburg found itself in a 40-32 hole at the halftime break. Only Jacket players and coaches know what changes were made in their locker room, but whatever they were, they certainly worked for Popeck, who reminded Geneva just what makes him one of the most dangerous shooters in the league. All he did was connect on four consecutive three pointers that turned an eight-point Waynesburg deficit into a four-point advantage (44-40) after 2:18 had expired in the second half.
 
Geneva calmed things down with five-straight points that put the home team back in the lead 45-44. That small surge also set the tone for a back-and-forth flow that dominated most of the period. A pair of Geneva free throws with 1:55 showing on the clock put the host squad back ahead at 73-72. Over the next minute, Popeck put Waynesburg back ahead with a free throw, grabbed a defensive rebound off a Golden Tornado miss, drew a foul, made two free throws, grabbed two more defensive boards and found himself back at the charity stripe with a chance to put the game out of reach.
 
Number five put the finishing touches on his fourth 30-point performance of the season and brought about the final score of the contest.
 
While Popeck's dominant second half stole the show, a pair of gritty front court members played crucial roles in Waynesburg's most recent win. Graduate student Nijon Kirkman (Cleveland, Ohio / John Hay) produced yet another double-double, his team-leading sixth, with 13 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. He also dished out three assists, swiped a contest-best four steals and continued to show his surprising range by converting two-of-three three-point attempts.
 
Sophomore Jansen Knotts (Ridgeley, W.Va. / Frankfort) produced one of his best games in a Yellow Jacket uniform. Not only did he pile up a personal collegiate-best 19 points, but he also yanked down eight boards.
 
While the game will likely be remembered for its offense, Waynesburg's defense made its presence known with nine steals that made up the bulk of Geneva's 15 turnovers. The Jackets coughed the ball up just five teams, a statistic that played a key role in the hard-fought win. The Orange and Black was also the better squad at the free throw line, where it made 12-of-16 tries, as compared to Geneva's 50% showing (7-of-14).
 
The Jackets will look to carry the momentum of Saturday's win into Monday's rescheduled road game at Westminster. Waynesburg tips off against the defending PAC champions at 8 p.m.