The SVC Bearcats overcame a mid-second half run by the Waynesburg Yellow Jackets to pull away to a 75-61 victory on the road in Presidents' Athletic Conference action.
 
The teams traded baskets throughout the first five minutes, with Waynesburg holding a 10-8 advantage until Pat Jones scored on a conventional three-point play to put SVC in front, 11-10, at the 14:19 mark.  Matt D'Amico then hit a three from the corner to make it a four-point lead, and Jones continued the run with a jumper off the glass with just under 13 minutes remaining.
 
Up 17-14, Saint Vincent got four quick points, a baseline drive from D'Amico followed by a steal and fast break layup by Jones that made the score 21-14 at the midway point of the half.  Jaylon Bell added a three from the corner with 8:15 to go in the first half that ran the lead to eight, 24-16, but the Yellow Jackets scored the game's next three points to cut the gap to five.
 
Bell then took command of the SVC offense, scoring six straight points to build the lead to 30-21 with four minutes remaining.  Bobby Swartwout then found himself alone in the paint for another Bearcat score, followed by a D'Amico steal that led to a Jones layup making it 34-21.  However, the hosts ended the half with a 7-2 run, and SVC went into the break ahead 36-28.
 
Waynesburg's BJ Durham started the second half with five straight points to make it a 36-33 game, but Austin Dedert got SVC back on track with a conventional three-point play at the 18:30 mark.
 
The lead once again dropped to three when the Jackets' DJ Ritchie hit a trey at the 16:03 mark to make the score 41-38, and Waynesburg tied the game at 43-43 with 13:07 to go on a drive by Christian Koroly.  A behind the back pass by Dylan O'Hara led to a Durham layup at the 12-minute mark that put Waynesburg in front for the first time since the game's opening minutes.
 
The teams then traded the lead back and forth nine times over the next three minutes, with SVC holding a 54-53 lead after a pair of Bell free throws with 8:48 to go.  After a timeout, Austin Ford caused a turnover and the Bearcats extended the lead to three after a JC Howard drive and score.  A Bell steal then set up a pair of free throws by Jones with 7:38 remaining, and after a missed opportunity by the Jackets, Bell set up Howard for a layup.  Howard drew a foul on the play, hitting the free throw to make the score 61-53.
 
It became an 11-0 Bearcat run when Bell hit a reverse layup near the 7-minute mark.
 
A Mike Simmons three with 5:22 on the clock made the score 68-55 in favor of Saint Vincent, and the Bearcats maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
 
Bell led all scorers with 27 points, while Jones added 16 and Howard tallied 9.  Jones was SVC's top rebounder with 7. 
 
Durham scored 21 points for the Jackets, while Nate Labishak had 10 rebounds.
 
Saint Vincent is now 5-0 in the PAC, 9-3 overall.  Waynesburg falls to 2-3 in the conference, 2-10 overall.  SVC returns to action on Saturday (January 9) at Grove City College.