BEAVER FALLS, Pa. (Feb. 22) – Prior to the start of the 2021-22 season, Waynesburg University head men's basketball coach Tim Fusina and assistant coach AJ Uhl knew that they were getting a gutsy, gritty post presence in transfer graduate student Nijon Kirkman (Cleveland, Ohio / John Hay). However, it's doubtful that even those two could have foreseen what Kirkman was capable of when he was needed the most.
 
That situation presented itself on Tuesday night when Waynesburg, the fifth seed in the 2022 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) tournament, traveled to fourth-seeded Geneva for a quarterfinal matchup. Not only were the Jackets facing one of the most offensively gifted teams in the conference, but they were doing it without star senior guard Matt Popeck (Washington, Pa. / Washington), who suffered an injury during the team's regular season finale against the Golden Tornadoes.
 
Waynesburg needed both a leader and a focal point for its offense if it was going to pull off the upset. Kirkman gave them both. Not only did he outscore Geneva's Lyle Tipton, the top point producer in the PAC and one of the best in the country, but dominated the boards and knocked down the two biggest free throws of the season in willing the Jackets to a thrilling 60-59 victory.
 
Without Popeck, Waynesburg (14-12) turned to its defensive tenacity to stay within striking distance of a Geneva (14-10) team that averaged over 81 points per game coming into the contest. Prior to Tuesday night's win, the Jacket defense boasted the top scoring defense in the conference (62.7 ppg).
 
With 1:40 remaining in the game, the Jackets looked poised to put the game away as a Kirkman field goal put his team up 58-53. It was the largest lead of the game for Waynesburg.
 
However, six-straight points from Tipton put Geneva ahead 59-58 with just 13 seconds left in the game. Kirkman again rose to the occasion, as he was able to draw a foul in the low post with just three seconds showing on the clock. The veteran forward, who was only shooting 49% from the line heading into the game, connected on both to put his team up 60-59.
 
After Geneva inbounded the ball and managed to race across the half court line, a buzzer-beating foul was called by the officials, giving the GT's a chance to pull out the victory in front of their home crowd. However, luck was on the Jackets' side as both attempts rimmed out and Waynesburg celebrated an unlikely victory on Geneva's home court.
 
Tuesday night saw Waynesburg pick up its first PAC playoff win since 2015 and its first road playoff triumph since 2006. However, with the way the game started, it looked as though both of those postseason droughts would continue.
 
The Jackets trailed 19-9 after the first 10 minutes of play. However, an 11-2 Waynesburg run over the next four minutes closed the gap to 21-20. Roughly four minutes later, a Kirkman layup gave the Orange and Black its first lead of the night. A subsequent free throw that completed a three-point play for the night's hero followed by a fast break bucket by junior guard Ryan Felberg (Twinsburg, Ohio / Twinsburg) pushed the Waynesburg edge to 29-25.
 
A three pointer by Geneva ended the first-half scoring and made the score 29-28 at the break. The two conference rivals traded the lead back-and-forth on multiple occasions over the second half, before the improbable final minute-plus played itself out to the final buzzer.
 
As previously mentioned, Kirkman put on a dominant show for the victors. He shot 12-for-22 from the floor, knocked down a three pointer and converted all three of his free throw tries en route to a personal collegiate-best 28 points. Despite facing a Geneva team that boasts a slew of individuals standing 6-4 and taller, Kirkman dominated the glass to the tune of a game-high 17 boards, nine of which were of the offensive variety.
 
Sophomore forward Jansen Knotts (Ridgeley, W.Va. / Frankfort) chipped in 10 points and five boards to Waynesburg's winning effort. Felberg and sophomore guard Jake Scheidt (Saxonburg, Pa. / Knoch) added eight points each on the evening.
 
After experiencing one of the most memorable wins in recent program history, the Jackets must refocus and prepare for their semifinal showdown with top-seeded Washington & Jefferson on Thursday, Feb. 24. Tipoff time in Washington will be announced in the near future.