BETHANY, W.Va. (January 22) – Antone Baker (Maple Heights, Ohio / Maple Heights) made a go-ahead layup with 8.7 seconds left in overtime and blocked Bethany's game-winning attempt on the defensive end as the Waynesburg University men's basketball team escaped with a 91-89 victory at Bethany on Wednesday evening.
The Yellow Jackets snap a three-game losing skid, complete a season sweep over the Bison and rise to 7-10 overall and 5-7 in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play. Bethany falls to 6-10, 1-10 PAC.
Waynesburg led by as many as 17 points in the second half before the Bison made a late charge and used an 11-1 run over the final 2:23 of regulation to tie the game at 81 and send the contest into overtime.
Baker muscled his way in for the opening basket of the overtime period but Bethany answered with a lay-in off a backdoor cut. The Bison took their first lead since being ahead 10-9 with a deep trey on the left wing. Baker got the Jackets back within one (86-85) with 1:50 left. Jalen Goins (Morgantown, W.Va. / Morgantown) drained a go-ahead three-pointer from the top of the key as the clock ticket under a minute left in OT. Bethany immediately tied the game at 88 with a driving layup.
Waynesburg handled Bethany's pressure and Korey Mitchum (McHenry, Md. / Southern Garrett (Md.)) found Baker along the left baseline for the go-ahead basket with 8.7 seconds remaining. On the other end, Bethany used a successful back cut to draw a foul. The Bison made the first foul shot and missed the second but collected an offensive rebound. Bethany attempted to put in a point-blank layup off the missed free throw but Baker swatted the attempt and Rayshod Hooper (Baltimore, Md. / St. Frances) secured the rebound.
Bethany was called for a flagrant foul on Hooper's rebound, so the Jackets were awarded two shots and the ball. PJ Suggs (Twinsburg, Ohio / Twinsburg) made one of two foul shots and after a successful inbounds play went back to the foul line with one second left and Bethany was unable to put up a last-second full court heave as the Jackets secured the 91-89 win.
The game opened as a back-and-forth affair as the two teams were tied eight times in the opening 14 minutes with neither team going ahead by more than four points. Three-pointers by Scott Bilovus (Imperial, Pa. / West Allegheny) and Goins keyed a 9-2 Waynesburg run that put the Jackets ahead 32-24 with 3:25 left in the opening half.
Bethany trimmed the Jacket lead back to three (32-29) before Hooper scored the final six points of the half for Waynesburg as the Jackets led 38-34 at the break.
Baker's steal and slam dunk early in the second half gave Waynesburg its first double-digit lead (47-37) of the night. The Bison trimmed the margin to 51-45 before Suggs kickstarted a 9-0 Waynesburg run with a three-point play that pushed the Jacket lead to 60-45 with 11:17 to play.
Waynesburg made eight-straight free throws to stay ahead 80-69 with four minutes remaining. The Bison made a late push with four-straight foul shots and then a three-pointer to bring the score to 80-77 with under two minutes to play. A put back by Bethany cut the Jacket lead to one (80-79) with just under a minute left.
On the ensuing possession, Goins grabbed his own miss and found Mitchum who was fouled. Mitchum split the pair of foul shots to keep the Jackets ahead by 81-79. Bethany knotted the game at 81 with a pair of free throws with 28 seconds left.
Suggs was trapped upon bringing the ball past midcourt and had the ball stolen away. The Bison missed on a layup and tip-in before Waynesburg grabbed the rebound and turned the ball over via a traveling violation with nine seconds left. Goins heavily contested Bethany's go-ahead attempt from the right block and Hooper grabbed the rebound with 1.2 seconds left. Suggs caught a heave from the Waynesburg baseline and got a shot off a buzzer but it missed the mark and the game went to overtime tied at 81.
Suggs and Baker both scored 25 points, a career-high for Suggs and matching a season-high for Baker. Baker added eight rebounds, Suggs grabbed four and had three assists. Both players notched a block and two steals.
Hooper recorded his first double-double as a Jacket as he set a season-high with 14 points and added a team-best 11 rebounds. Goins had 11 points and seven rebounds. Mitchum finished with nine points and four assists.
Waynesburg set season-highs in points scored and foul shots made as the Jackets went 28-of-41 from the foul line. The Jackets shot 47.5 percent from the field, the third-best single-game mark for the team this season.
The ballgame featured 11 ties and six lead changes. The Jackets held a 26-8 edge in fast break points, a 42-28 advantage in points in the paint and a 25-9 margin in points off turnovers.
Waynesburg hosts Geneva on Saturday. The Jackets sit a half game behind the Golden Tornadoes in the PAC standings.