WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Feb. 12) – The Waynesburg University men's basketball team looked poised to pick up an important Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) win over Westminster on Saturday night. Unfortunately, a 14-point second-half lead didn't hold up against the visiting Titans, who came all the way back to leave town with a 57-54 win.
Waynesburg (12-10, 8-7) looked great off the opening tip as it built a 17-4 lead over the first nine minutes of play. Westminster (14-8, 11-5) slowed the host squad towards the end of the first half and by the time the two squads broke for their respective locker rooms, Waynesburg held a 31-22 advantage.
A three pointer by sophomore guard
Bryson Wilt (Oakland, Md. / Southern Garrett) and a pair of free throws from senior guard
Matt Popeck (Washington, Pa. / Washington) rebuilt a 14-point lead for the Jackets after 1:20 of play in period two. The visitors slowly whittled their deficit down and trailed by nine with just under seven minutes showing on the game clock.
Westminster went on its first big run with just over six minutes left to play. Over the next 3:30, the Titans put together a 10-0 surge that gave them a slim 53-52 edge. Wilt stopped the bleeding with a jumper in the paint and put the host squad ahead 54-53.
Unfortunately, the Titans converted on four-straight free throws over the final 54 seconds of the game and the Jackets misfired on a trio of three-point attempts, including an attempt at the buzzer to pull out the victory.
Knotts led all scorers with 17 points. He added five rebounds, three assists and a block to a productive night's work. Popeck added 16 points and five boards to the Jacket effort, while Wilt tallied nine points and six boards.
Graduate student forward
Nijon Kirkman (Cleveland, Ohio / John Hay) grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, but foul problems severely limited his effectiveness as he played just 18 minutes before picking up his fifth foul.
The Jackets suffered the bad luck loss, despite committing just five turnovers and forcing the opposition to cough up the ball 11 times.
Saturday was the first of four-straight home games to close out the regular season for Waynesburg. The Jackets are back on the court Monday when they host Thiel. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
