Jan 3, 2015 4 min read

For much of Saturday afternoon, making a shot was a monumental task for the Waynesburg University men’s basketball team.

The Yellow Jackets were missing jump shots, three-pointers, runners, putbacks and any other shot imaginable against rival Washington & Jefferson. During one nine-minute stretch, Waynesburg made only one of 15 shots. The Yellow Jackets shot an anemic 27 percent from the field in the first half.

So it was not surprising that Waynesburg was trailing Washington & Jefferson by eight points when the Presidents’ leading scorer and rebounder Mike Resnik fouled out with 4:29 remaining.

That’s when Waynesburg coach Mark Christner instructed his team to get the ball into the lane on each possession and into the hands of forward Jason Propst. It was the proper strategy because Propst played a key role in four baskets down the stretch as Waynesburg closed the game on a 14-0 run and defeated the Presidents 64-57 in a PAC contest at Henry Memorial Center.

Propst’s decision-making jump-started Waynesburg’s sluggish attack, while W&J’s offense was held to only two free throws without Resnik on the floor.

“We just kept encouraging our guys to keep digging,” Waynesburg coach Mark Christner said. “Late in the second half, we emphasized paint touches. We tried to get free throws or get to the rim. We wouldn’t have won shooting three-pointers and jump shots.

“W&J played really hard. At the beginning of the second half, they were assertive and put us back on our heels. It took us a long time to get something established.”

So Waynesburg went to Propst, a senior from Brighton, Colo., who is a four-year starter. A layup by Propst cut W&J’s lead to 56-50. Then, following a free throw and fast-break layup by Waynesburg’s Kenny Klase, Propst attracted a crowd in the lane before tossing the ball out to point guard B.J. Durham, who made a three-pointer that tied the score at 57-57.

“Jason gets three or four guys around him every time he gets the ball inside,” Christner said. “We did a better job of spacing and giving him some room at the end of the game. He had a really important kickout to B.J. for a three.”

W&J’s offense, meanwhile, struggled without Resnik, who played another stellar game and scored 19 points. The Presidents had two turnovers late in the game and missed its final four shots.

“Too many turnovers,” W&J coach Glenn Gutierrez said. “If you don’t take care of the ball, then you can’t take shots. If you don’t take shots, then you can’t score.”

Propst gave Waynesburg its first lead – 59-57 with 1:14 remaining – since the opening minute of the second half when he made a driving shot from the lane. After a missed W&J shot, Propst converted a three-point play that gave the Yellow Jackets a 62-57 advantage with 16 seconds remaining.

The win was the fifth in six games for Waynesburg (2-1, 6-6). Thomas Ellis came off the bench to lead the Yellow Jackets in scoring with 14 points. Propst followed with 11 and Klase scored six of his 10 in the final three minutes.

“Thomas Ellis kept us in the game,” Christner said. “His play was inspiring.”

For W&J (0-3, 1-11) it was another frustrating day on the court. All three of the Presidents’ conference losses have come by seven points or fewer. W&J is still without all-PAC forward Nate Bellhy, who has not played this season because of a groin injury. Without him, the Presidents have struggled to develop a second scorer to go with Resnik.

“Mike was our most aggressive guy looking for shots,” Gutierrez said. “That’s not to say he’s the only one who can shoot. … We have to make some shots to take pressure off our defense. We played our hearts out defensively but you have to make some shots.”

Tyler Haas had a double-double for W&J with 11 points and 10 rebounds. The Presidents had only two offensive rebounds and attempted 17 fewer shots than Waynesburg.