WAYNESBURG, Pa. (January 29) – In a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) showdown that featured a dozen lead changes, the Waynesburg University men's basketball team pushed conference-leading Chatham but fell 82-74 in the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse on Wednesday evening.
Waynesburg falls to 7-12 on the year and 5-9 in PAC play. Chatham extends its current winning streak to eight games and now stands at 16-3, 13-1 PAC.
Chatham's first two field goals of the night were three-pointers as the Cougars built an early 10-4 advantage. Jalen Goins (Morgantown, W.Va. / Morgantown) drained two threes to keep the Jackets attached as Chatham's lead grew no larger than seven as the visitors led 23-16 with 9:40 left in the first half.
The Jackets scored seven-straight points with layups by Aidan Blake (Parkersburg, W.Va. / Parkersburg South) and PJ Suggs (Twinsburg, Ohio / Twinsburg) and a successful three-point play by Jaylen Davis (Cleveland Heights, Ohio / Cleveland Heights). Suggs gave Waynesburg its first lead of the night at 25-24 with a pair of foul shots.
The lead changed hands eight times in the final eight minutes of the first half. Antone Baker (Maple Heights, Ohio / Maple Heights) scored the final seven points of the half for Waynesburg with two go-ahead buckets and a end-of-shot-clock three-pointer in the final minute to give the Jackets a 34-30 halftime lead.
Waynesburg led 38-32 early in the second half but Chatham answered with a 7-0 run to go ahead 39-38 and start a run of five-consecutive lead changes on successive baskets. Chatham then surged ahead with a 13-4 run to lead 54-46 just past the midway point of the second half.
The Cougars used an 14-4 spurt to push its advantage into double-digits and lead 70-54 with four minutes to go. Chatham's final 13 points all came via the free throw line as Waynesburg outscored the Cougars 20-13 over the final four minutes but could not get closer than a seven-point deficit.
Baker led the charge for Waynesburg with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Suggs had 12 points and Davis added 11 points and eight rebounds.
The Jackets owned a 45-39 edge on the boards and shot 46.4 percent from the field while holding Chatham to 40.9 percent.
Chatham scored 23 points off 23 Waynesburg turnovers on the night. Chatham's Lovenson Xavier was the game's leading scorer with a season-high 33 points.
Waynesburg heads to Allegheny on Saturday.