Dec 3, 2013 3 min read

For small college basketball teams, December used to be a time for watching conference rivals from afar, and for developing depth, substitution patterns and an identity.

Those days are long gone.

Two weeks after the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference began league play, Presidents’ Athletic Conference teams will embark on their conference schedule tonight.

The Washington and Jefferson men’s and women’s teams will trek to New Wilmington for a doubleheader against Westminster, while Waynesburg will host Bethany at Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse.

At 3-2, the W&J men are off the program’s best start in four years. Junior forward Nate Bellhy, a Fort Cherry product, leads three Presidents, averaging 17.4 points per game, which is fifth-best in the PAC. Bellhy had back-to-back 20-point performances, including a season-best 28 points in a win over Penn State-Fayette.

Juniors Mitch Locher and Doug Johnson each have experienced success early this season. Locher, who averaged only 4.6 points per game as a sophomore, is scoring at a 14.4 per-game clip and had a 20-point performance against Denison. Johnson is averaging 11.6 ppg and is shooting 91 percent (19-for-22) from the free-throw line.

Westminster (0-5) is the PAC’s only winless men’s team.

The W&J women (2-2) are coming off an 87-86 win Saturday at Carnegie Mellon. In that game, senior forward Chelsea Apke had 30 points, including a game-winning basket with 12 seconds remaining, and 12 rebounds and four assists. The performance earned Apke PAC Player of the Week honors.

Westminster enters with a 2-2 record.

The Waynesburg men (4-2) face a difficult challenge as they host undefeated Bethany (4-0), which will be looking for revenge. Late last season, Waynesburg upset Bethany, 67-64, which snapped the Yellow Jackets’ 22-game losing streak to the Bison.

Junior forward Jason Propst is off to a strong start for Waynesburg, averaging 17 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. He also leads the PAC in blocked shots.

Bethany, which has won all its games by at least eight points, is led by junior guard Delonte’ Joyce (17.5 ppg) and senior forward Leslie Addy (PAC-leading 9.5 rpg).

The Waynesburg women (0-4) and Bethany (1-2) each are off to slow starts.

Both teams have lost to nationally ranked Mount Union. Both the Yellow Jackets and Bison have struggled defensively, allowing more than 80 points per game.

In the PSAC, California makes its second trip to Erie in a week when it plays a doubleheader at Mercyhurst. The Cal men (0-2, 1-5) have dropped three in a row. Mercyhurst is 1-0, 2-3. The Lakers are undefeated (2-0) at home.

The California women (1-1, 1-4), who have played a difficult schedule, picked up their first win Saturday, a 79-52 thumping of Slippery Rock. Mercyhurst (1-0, 1-4) is on a three-game losing streak.