Staff writer

jmontecalvo@observer-reporter.com

BETHANY, W.Va. - With forwards Josip Lucic-Jozak and Wahab Owolabi, the Washington & Jefferson College men's basketball team has a distinct advantage on the interior over most teams in the Presidents' Athletic Conference.

Lucic-Jozak is a 6-7 force on the boards and Owolabi is an athletic rebounder and scorer.

The Presidents exploited those options last week when they knocked off Bethany in the final game of the PAC regular season. Lucic-Jozak and Owolabi each scored 21 points as W&J overcame three 16-point deficits in the second half to earn the win.

So heading into Saturday night's PAC tournament championship game, the top-seeded Bison knew something had to change.

Bethany didn't alter its defensive philosophy so much - still playing man-to-man - but rather made it difficult for the Presidents to get the ball to their big men.

The Bison made a concerted effort to put pressure on the W&J guards and the game plan worked. Bethany raced to a nine-point halftime lead on its way to a 90-76 victory and an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs.

"Our kids battled a lot smarter than last time," said Bethany coach Aaron Huffman, a Waynesburg native. "We just wanted to make it really hard for them to get the ball inside to those big guys without playing zone, because we don't play zone well. We had to keep them out of rhythm so they couldn't dump it inside, which is what happened last game."

It was Bethany's PAC-record 12th conference title. The Bison were the No. 1 seed for the fourth time in the seven-year history of the tournament.

W&J, which lost to Grove City in last year's title game, was denied its 10th conference championship.

That wasn't for a lack of effort in the second half.

After falling behind by 18 points, the third-seeded Presidents (14-14) closed to with 61-57 with 9:38 to play.

Lucic-Jozak and Brian Felker keyed a 21-7 run. During the spurt, Lucic-Jozak - who scored 17 points and had nine rebounds off the bench - scored seven points and Felker had 12 of his team-high 22 points.

"We cut it to four in the second half and then we had a defensive breakdown," W&J coach Glenn Gutierrez said. "They hit two threes and I don't think we ever recovered from that."

It was a string of three-point field goals about 10 minutes into the game that opened a 28-17 lead for the Bison (17-10).

Trinity graduate Joe Testa hit two of the long-range shots and Dakota Matz added two more. All were from the left corner or wing during Bethany's quick 17-2 run.

Testa managed to free himself of Lucic-Jozak for the open shots.

"It feels good to get this win," said Testa, who had 13 points and three rebounds. "That's why I came here, to win. A lot of it had to do with our guards."

Gutierrez agreed.

"Our inability to guard off the dribble hurt," he said. "They were able to drive and they made the extra passes. They are very unselfish."

Most of those drives were created by Brody Jackson, the PAC's second-leading scorer, and point guard Marcus Adams.

Jackson had a game-high 30 points and made seven of eight free throws in the last 1:27. Adams had 13 points and six assists.

The duo also kept the pressure on defensively.

"We talked yesterday and today that with Brody, if he didn't shoot off the dribble, he was going to drive it," Gutierrez said. "He was the key. If he's that effective off the dribble, they're tough to beat."

Albert Varacallo had 11 points for W&J, which has no seniors, and Owolabi added 10 points and eight rebounds.

"I'm extremely proud of this team," Gutierrez said. "I'm very pleased with where we ended up from where we began."

Home