Yellow Jackets win fifth straight game
Jacob Fleegle scored 17 points and Waynesburg used a fast start Saturday afternoon to defeat host Bethany, 78-53, in a key Presidents’ Athletic Conference game.
Waynesburg (10-4, 14-9) won its fifth straight and remained in a tie for second place in the PAC with Thomas More. The loss snapped an eight-game winning streak by Bethany (9-4, 14-8).
The Yellow Jackets took control of the game in the first half, forging a 15-point lead in the first nine minutes and leading by 17 at halftime.
It didn’t get any better for Bethany in the second half, when it shot just 29 percent.
B.J. Durham scored 12 points for Waynesburg’s balanced attack, which included 11 points from Kenny Klase anmd 10 from Thomas Ellis. The Yellow Jackets held a 50-34 edge in rebounds and made 10 of 28 three-point shots.
Delonte Joyce paced Bethany with 15 points.
California 75, Davis & Elkins 71: Richard Smith led four California players in double figures with 19 points and the Vulcans held off a late comeback to beat host Davis & Elkins, 75-71, in a non-conference game.
Smith had a key tip-in for a basket that gave Cal (14-11) a 67-64 lead with 1:53 remaining. The basket came after D&E (6-16) erased a 15-point Cal lead in the second half.
Cal point guard Khalil Jabbie scored 11 of his 16 points in the second half, Daniel Sapp scored 14 points and Arman Marks had 12.
Wesley Sprinkle scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half to lead the Senators’ comeback. Sprinkle made 6 of 7 shots from three-point range. Kevin Bracey-Davis had 18 points for D&E.
Thomas More 100, Wash & Jeff 42: Drew Mumford and Louis Maniacci each scored 16 points as Thomas More used long-range shooting to defeat Washington & Jefferson, 100-42, in a PAC game in Crestview Hills, Ky.
All 16 players in uniform for Thomas More (11-4, 16-8) scored. The Saints had 12 different players make a three-pointer. Thomas More was 16 of 31 from three-point range.
W&J (0-14, 1-22) played without 1,000-point scorer Mike Resnik, who was injured in a game Feb. 7 at Waynesburg.
Brian Lindquist and Joel Garcia each scored 11 points for the Presidents.
Women’s results
California 72, Davis & Elkins 67: Lana Doran had one of her best offensive games with California, scoring 17 points and leading the Vulcans to a 72-67 victory over host Davis Elkins in a non-conference game.
Considered a defensive specialist, Doran, a native of Northamptonshire, England, made eight of 15 shots, grabbed six rebounds, had three steals and contributed two assists.
The Vulcans, who ranked No. 20 in NCAA Division II, improved their record to 21-3.
Point guard Miki Glenn scored 14 points and had nine assists, and seniors Emma Mahady and Kaitlyn Fratz each had 13 points and five assists.
Cal trailed by one point at halftime and was down 40-33 early in the second half. A three-pointer by Glenn gave Cal a 54-51 lead with 5:29 remaining and the Vulcans maintained an advantage for the remainder of the game.
Sharmaine Baker scored a game-high 27 points for D&E (11-11).
Thomas More 91, Wash & Jeff 70: Sydney Moss scored a season-high 43 points and led Thomas More, the No. 1-ranked team in NCAA Division III, to a 91-70 victory over Washington & Jefferson in a PAC game.
The Saints remain undefeated at 16-0 in the conference and 21-0 overall.
Moss, last year’s D-III Player of the Year, made 14 of 26 shots, 11 of 14 free throws, grabbed 13 rebounds and had five assists. She played 27 minutes.
The game was close for much of the first half. Thomas More led 34-29 before closing the half with an 11-0 run to open a 45-29 advantage. The Saints then scored 11 of the first 15 points in the second half.
W&J (11-5, 17-6) had an amazing performance at the free-throw line, making 29 of 32 foul shots (91 percent). Beka Bellhy led four W&J players in double figures with 16 points and was 10-for-10 at the free-throw line.
Valerie Dunlap had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, Taylor Cortazzo scored 14 points and Amirah Moore contributed 11 points off the bench.
Waynesburg 69, Bethany 67: Rebecca Kerr scored 17 points and Waynesburg held off a late charge by host Bethany to edge the Bison, 69-67, in a PAC game.
The win assures fourth-place Waynesburg (10-6, 13-10) of a home game in the quarterfinals of the PAC tournament. Fifth-place Bethany falls to 8-8, 12-11.
Waynesburg’s bench contributed significantly to the Yellow Jackets’ win. Rachel Lovely had a career-high 12 points and seven rebounds, and Addy Knetzer scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds in only 14 minutes.
Waynesburg led 69-61 with 1:58 to play following a layup by Lovely. Bethany pulled to within 69-67 after a basket by Mikayla Tipton with 12 seconds remaining, and then the Yellow Jackets committed a turnover, giving the Bison a chance to tie or win. Tipton, however, missed two shots and time expired.
Kelsea Daugherty led Bethany with 19 points.