Saint Vincent men seal third-straight PAC Championship Tournament title

Saint Vincent men seal third-straight PAC Championship Tournament title

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LATROBE, Pa. (pacathletics.org) – The top-seeded Saint Vincent College men’s basketball program locked up its third consecutive Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship Tournament title Saturday evening at the Robert S. Carey Center with a 72-66 victory over second-seeded Waynesburg University.

Saint Vincent (22-6), participating in its fifth PAC postseason tournament since gaining full league membership in 2010-11, is the first men’s program to win three-straight conference titles since Washington & Jefferson College registered four straight from 1992-95.

Senior forward Sean Kett (Miami, Fla./Miami Palmetto) finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and three assists to help lift the top-seeded Bearcats to the title. Junior guard Pat Jones (Frostburg, Md./Bishop Walsh) added 14 points and six boards while junior guard Ben Klimchock (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) chipped in with 11 and junior guard Jaylon Bell (Ocoee, Fla./West Orange) totaled 10 points and seven rebounds.

Waynesburg (18-10) was led by senior guard Byrum Louco’s (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) game-high 21 points. Louco also finished with a team-best eight rebounds. Senior wing Jacob Fleegle (Jennerstown, Pa./North Star) was the only other Jacket to reach double figures with 13. The Jackets were making their first appearance in the PAC title game since 2006.

With Saturday's tournament title, Saint Vincent earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. The teams and pairings for the national tournament will be released at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, March 2 with the live selection show available on NCAA.com. This year's tournament gets underway March 6-7.

2014-15 PAC Championship Tournament highlights

Saturday, Feb. 28 – Latrobe, Pa.
Title Game
No. 1 Saint Vincent 72, No. 2 Waynesburg 66 Box Score
Senior forward Sean Kett (Miami, Fla./Miami Palmetto) averaged 18.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game during the Bearcats’ three-game run to this year’s league title. In a first half that featured seven ties and neither team gaining a lead greater than seven, the squads entered the break deadlocked at 29-29. A three-point play by Waynesburg senior guard Casey Hope (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Salem) with 13:25 remaining gave the visiting Jackets a 38-37 edge, but a 19-8 run by Saint Vincent covering the ensuing 9:19 would put the Bearcats in front by 10, 56-46, with just over four minutes to play.

Thursday, Feb. 26 – Latrobe, Pa.
Semifinal (1)
No. 1 Saint Vincent 86, No. 4 Thomas More 73 Box Score
Saint Vincent advanced to its third-straight PAC Championship Tournament title game with Thursday’s semifinal win. Junior guard Pat Jones (Frostburg, Md./Bishop Walsh) scored a game-high 24 points to lead the Bearcats. Senior forward Sean Kett (Miami, Fla./Miami Palmetto) totaled 23 points and added eight rebounds, while junior guard JC Howard (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) chipped in with 13. Saint Vincent finished the night shooting 56.3 percent (27-of-48) from the floor and 44.4 percent (4-of-9) from three-point range. Senior forward Drew Mumford (Louisville, Ky./Christian Academy) lead a trio in double figures for Thomas More, finishing with 23 points.

Thursday, Feb. 26 – Waynesburg, Pa.
Semifinal (2)
No. 2 Waynesburg 70, No. 3 Bethany 57 Box Score
Waynesburg will be making its first appearance in the PAC title game since 2006 after Thursday’s semifinal win over number four Bethany. Senior wing Jacob Fleegle (Jennerstown, Pa./North Star) led four Jackets in double figures, finishing with 13 points and six rebounds. Senior forward Jason Propst (Brighton, Colo./Jefferson Academy) and junior guard BJ Durham (West Friendship, Md./Marriotts Ridge) each added 12. Bethany senior guard Delonte' Joyce (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis) finished with a game-high 15 points.

Tuesday, Feb. 24 – Latrobe, Pa.
Quarterfinal (1)
No. 1 Saint Vincent 87, No. 8 Westminster 79 Box Score
The Bearcats ran their home win streak in the championship tournament to seven straight with Tuesday’s quarterfinal win. Trailing by as many as 15 in the opening half, Saint Vincent closed out the half outscoring Westminster 12-5 over the final four minutes to trail by just three (38-35) going into the break. The Bearcats opened up the second half outscoring the Titans 9-0, and despite the Titans forcing three ties midway through the period, Saint Vincent pushed its lead to as many as 12 before securing the eight-point win. Junior guard JC Howard (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) led four Bearcats in double figures, scoring a game-high 24 points. Junior guard Pat Jones (Frostburg, Md./Bishop Walsh) finished with a career-high 22 points while senior forward Sean Kett (Miami, Fla./Miami Palmetto) had the game’s lone double-double, posting 13 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore guard Jason Pilarski (Pittsburgh, Pa./Brentwood) totaled 20 points to lead four Titans in double figures.

Tuesday, Feb. 24 – Waynesburg, Pa.
Quarterfinal (2)
No. 2 Waynesburg 53, No. 7 Grove City 45 Box Score
The first half in Waynesburg was a back-and-forth affair with neither squad achieving a lead greater than five. Waynesburg junior guard BJ Durham’s (West Friendship, Md./Marriotts Ridge) three-point field goal with 2:37 to play in the first were the final points of the period, a stretch that saw just three misses and three turnovers. Grove City senior guard J.T. Schwartz’s (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler) three-pointer with just over seven minutes to play tied the game at 32-32, but Waynesburg went on to outscore the Wolverines 15-5 over the next six and a half minutes to grab a 47-37 lead with just under one minute remaining in regulation. Durham had 13 points and three rebounds to lead Waynesburg. Senior forward Jason Propst (Brighton, Colo./Jefferson Academy) was the only other Jacket in double figures, finishing with 10 points and four rebounds. Schwartz and senior guard Mitch Marmelstein (San Juan Capistrano, Calif./St. Margaret's) each had 15 points for Grove City.

Tuesday, Feb. 24 – Bethany, W.Va.
Quarterfinal (3)
No. 3 Bethany 70, No. 6 Geneva 52 Box Score
Bethany senior guard Delonte’ Joyce (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis) finished with a game-high 27 points in Tuesday’s quarterfinal win, giving him 1,007 points during his Bison career. The first half proved to be another tightly-contested matchup between Bethany and Geneva, with neither squad gaining more than a five-point advantage. After Geneva tied the game at 25-25 on a pair of made free throws by senior guard Jacob Jaros (Levittsburg, Ohio/LaBrae), the Bison stretched their lead to five (30-25) before settling for a 30-28 edge going into the half. Geneva senior guard/forward Tyler Damazo (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) evened the score at 30-30 12 seconds into the second before Bethany put together a 17-5 run to stretch its lead 12 (47-35) with just over 11:30 remaining. Joyce also totaled seven rebounds and a pair of steals in the win. Junior forward Alan Harper (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland Central Catholic) and senior guard/forward Jeff Joynes (Baltimore, Md./Poly) each chipped in with 12 points. Junior guard/forward Ethan Adamcyzk (Uniontown, Ohio/Lake) led Geneva with 15 points and seven boards.

Tuesday, Feb. 24 – Crestview Hills, Ky.
Quarterfinal (4)
No. 4 Thomas More 72, No. 5 Thiel 56 Box Score
The fifth-seed Tomcats got off to a fast start, taking a 16-4 lead with just under 14 minutes to play in the first half. A 14-2 Thomas More run evened the score at 18-18 with just over six to play and the Saints went into the locker sporting a 29-28 lead. A pair of made free throws by freshman guard Tyreik Burton (Lewes, Del./Cape Henlopen) saw the Tomcats even the score at 45-45 at the 10:25 mark of the second half, but 19-5 spurt by Thomas More gave the Saints a 64-50 advantage with just under three and a half minutes remaining. Senior forward Drew Mumford (Louisville, Ky./Christian Academy) finished with a game-high 26 points to go along with six rebounds a pair of steals to lead the Saints. Senior guard Josh Johnson (Monroeville, Pa./Imani Christian Academy) was the lone Tomcat in double figures with 11.

Monday, Feb. 23 – New Wilmington, Pa.
First Round (Fourth Annual PAC Play-In Game)
No. 8 Westminster 79, No. 9 W&J 63 Box Score
The eighth-seeded Titans, leading by just five (67-62) with 2:22 to play, outscored the visiting Presidents 12-1 over the final 1:38 to secure the opening-round win at Memorial Field House. Sophomore guard Cameron Pozsgai (Windham, Ohio/Windham) led four Titans in double figures with 20 points on 7-of-7 shooting. Pozsgai also chipped in with six rebounds. Sophomore guard/forward Matt Getsy (Mars, Pa./Mars) added 17 points and a team-best seven rebounds while junior guard/forward Paul Carswell (Painesville, Ohio/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin) chipped in with 16. Freshman forward Brian Lindquist (Narvon, Pa./Pequa Valley) paced W&J with 16 points and six rebounds. Senior guard Mike Resnik (White Oak, Pa./McKeesport) finished with 15 points, five rebounds and three assists.

2014-15 PAC Championship Tournament Schedule
First Round (Play-in game)
Monday, February 23
7 p.m. No. 8 Westminster 79, No. 9 W&J 63
Quarterfinals
Tuesday, February 24
7 p.m. No. 1 Saint Vincent 87, No. 8 Westminster 79 (Quarterfinal 1)
7 p.m. No. 2 Waynesburg 53, No. 7 Grove City 45 (Quarterfinal 2)
7 p.m. No. 3 Bethany 70, No. 6 Geneva 52 (Quarterfinal 3)
7 p.m. No. 4 Thomas More 72, No. 5 Thiel 56 (Quarterfinal 4)
Semifinals
Thursday, February 26
7 p.m. No. 1 Saint Vincent 86, No. 4 Thomas More 73 (Semifinal 1)
7 p.m. No. 2 Waynesburg 70, No. 3 Bethany 57 (Semifinal 2)
Championship
Saturday, February 28
7:30 p.m. No. 2 Waynesburg at No. 1 Saint Vincent