Bison take out Waynesburg in PAC Quarterfinals, 82-73

Andrew Woodley, Sports Information Director

• Box Score

BETHANY, W.Va. (Feb. 20) - Led by a career-high 28 points from sophomore Chaice Truex (Wheeling, W.Va./St. John's Central (Ohio)), the Bethany College men's basketball team scored an 82-73 win over Waynesburg in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Quarterfinals Tuesday night at the Hummel Field House.

Bethany, the No. 2 seed, improves to 15-11 overall this season. The Bison will host No. 4 seed Westminster on Thursday, February 22 at 7 p.m. in a PAC Semifinals game. Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets conclude the season at 10-16 overall.

Truex, who missed the previous two games due to injury, poured in 28 points on 8-of-13 (62 percent) shooting and made all nine of his free-throw attempts. The Wheeling, West Virginia native also added five rebounds and a pair of assists to his final line. Senior guard Calique Jones (Pittsburgh, Pa./Obama Academy) finished with 25 points, six rebounds and five assists in the win. 

Waynesburg delivered the first punch and took an 8-2 lead three mintues into the game with the help of a trio of offensive rebounds. Three-point shots by Jones and Truex helped start a run of 14-straight points and a 16-8 lead with 13:26 left in the first half. Waynesburg responded with 12-unanswered of its own over the next four minutes to reclaim the lead at 20-16, but the Bison controlled the final nine minutes of the first half. Bethany out-scored the Yellow Jackets 23-to-7 down the stretch, with Jones putting the finishing touches on the half when he drained a buzzer-beating shot from just beyond the halfcourt line to send the Bison into the locker rooms with a 39-27 lead.

Waynesburg found its shooting touch in the second half and managed to close the gap to four, 46-42, with the help of a trio of three pointers over the first five minutes of the half. Bethany managed to rebuild its lead to eight, 57-49, on a layup by senior Andrew Williams (Oil City, Pa./Oil City) at the 10-minute mark, but the Yellow Jackets hung around. Waynesburg brought its deficit back to four, 60-56, with 7:14 left in regulation and missed a potential shot that would have brought them within one point on its next possession.

Bethany once again pushed its lead back to seven, 66-59, with 5:28 to play. Waynesburg mounted another rally with a 7-2 spurt that put them within one possession for the first time in the second half at 68-65 with 4:13 remaining in the game. The Yellow Jackets did not get any closer, as Bethany closed the game by out-scoring Waynesburg 14-to-8, while making five of six free-throw attempts to seal the win. 

The Green & White finished the night shooting 50 percent (29-of-58), while Waynesburg was held to a 38 percent (27-of-70) showing from the field. Waynesburg missed each of its first 17 three-point attempts, before ending the night 6-of-29 (21 percent) from long range.

The Yellow Jackets held a slight 42 to 41 edge on the glass, but finished the night with 16 offensive rebounds and 15 second-chance points.

The Bison as a team shot 19-of-24 (79 percent) from the free-throw line, compared to the 13-of-24 (54 percent) posted by Waynesburg.

The PAC re-seeds the teams in the semifinals. As a result of No. 6 Geneva's upset-win over No. 3 Saint Vincent, Bethany will host No. 4 Westminster in the PAC Semifinals on Thursday, February 22 at 7 p.m. inside the Hummel Field House. Geneva will travel to top-seed Thomas More in the other semifinal matchup.