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PAC final goes way of Saint Vincent

5 min read

LATROBE – This is becoming a habit.

The Waynesburg University men’s basketball team keeps getting closer to winning a Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship. The bad news for the Yellow Jackets is that Saint Vincent is still tough to beat at the Carey Center.

For the third consecutive season, Waynesburg’s conference tournament run was ended by Saint Vincent, on the Bearcats’ home court and before a loud and spirited crowd.

Sean Kett, a 6-5 senior forward, scored 19 points, grabbed nine rebounds and was the key to some strong interior play in the second half that sparked Saint Vincent to a 72-66 victory Saturday night in the PAC tournament title game.

Saint Vincent had eliminated Waynesburg in the quarterfinals two years ago and again in the semifinals last season. With seven seniors and an experienced roster, this was Waynesburg’s best shot to knock off Saint Vincent, the tournament’s top seed and regular-season champion.

However, Saint Vincent (22-6), playing with poise of a two-time defending champion, shook off a four-point deficit early in the second half and won the battle on the boards and in the post. The Bearcats held Waynesburg (18-10), the second seed, to four field goals during a pivotal 14-minute stretch of the second half.

“No question that we pointed to this year to do some historic things for Waynesburg,” Yellow Jackets head coach Mark Christner said. “We didn’t get the job done. We got better by a better team on their home court.

“From a program standpoint, we’re making progress. To get out of playing in this building in the postseason we have to get to the top of the league. We’re still clawing and Saint Vincent is not going to relinquish that top spot easily.”

That was apparent in the second half. After a layup by Kenny Klase and a drive for a score by Byrum Louco gave Waynesburg a 33-29 less than two minutes into the half, Saint Vincent took control of the game by getting the ball inside to Klett and going to the offensive boards for extra possessions.

The Bearcats outscored Waynesburg 27-12 over the next 14 minutes. Waynesburg was held to four field goals in that stretch, including a three-pointer and an old-fashioned three-point play by point guard Casey Hope.

Klett had 14 points during that key stretch, including a power move for a basket to stop Waynesburg’s momentum and a dunk that gave the Bearcats the game’s largest lead at 56-45 with 4:12 remaining.

“We had a hard time keeping Klett and some other guys off the boards,” Christner said. “Some of that was the result of rotation and the ball getting inside the lane, and some of it was us not matching their determination. Our determination wasn’t as visible in the second half as it needed to be.”

Waynesburg pulled to within six points three times in the game’s final minute but could get no closer.

Saint Vincent advances to the NCAA Division III tournament that begins Thursday night. First-round pairings and sites will be announced today. Waynesburg will wait for a bid to an ECAC tournament. The Yellow Jackets, however, had loftier goals than Division III’s version of the NIT.

“This one hurts,” said senior forward Jacob Fleegle, who scored 13 points. “I can speak for all the seniors when I say we had one goal this year and that was to win a conference championship. We just didn’t get it done.”

Saint Vincent received 13 points from its bench and made four of nine three-pointers in the first half. The Bearcats forged a 17-11 lead after backup guard Ben Klimchok made a pair of three-pointers and two free throws in an 8-2 run by Saint Vincent.

Saint Vincent’s defense did a good job of keeping the ball out of the hands of Waynesburg forward Jason Propst, the Yellow Jackets’ leading scorer. Propst did not score in the first half and attempted only two shots. He didn’t make his first field goal until only 1:22 was left in the game. Propst finished with six points on 2-for-5 shooting.

Waynesburg ended the first half with a flurry. After trailing 25-19, the Yellow Jackets closed the half with a 10-4 run to tie the score at 29-29. Louco, who entered the game averaging only 4.9 points per contest, scored 15 points in the first half, many on daring drives down the middle of the lane. Louco scored 10 points in the second half to help Waynesburg pull away for a win over Bethany in the semifinals.

Saint Vincent did a better job against Louco in the second half as he finished with a game-high 21 points on 9-for-13 shooting.

Pat Jones scored 14 points for Saint Vincent. Klimchock, who averages six points per game, finished with 11 off the bench. Jaylon Bell had 10.

“This one stings, and it will for a few days,” Christner said. “These seniors, however, have been terrific ambassadors for our teams and our university.”

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