Nov 16, 2013 4 min read

Junior forward Jason Propst scored a game-high 26 points, and Casey Hope made four clutch free throws in the final 33 seconds, as Waynesburg University’s men’s basketball team defeated Mount Aloysius, 92-86, Saturday afternoon in the championship game of the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament at Penn State-Altoona.

Propst helped Waynesburg (2-0) take control of the game midway through the second half. He made nine of 14 shots from the field, eight of 10 free throws and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.

After the teams played to a 45-45 tie at halftime, Mount Aloysius (1-1) held its final lead of the game at 61-60 with 11:53 remaining. A fast-break layup by B.J. Durham gave the Yellow Jackets a 61-60 lead, which was increased to 78-69 with 7:19 left after consecutive field goals by Thomas Ellis, who finished with 15 points.

Mount Aloysius pulled to within 85-84 with 2:32 remaining, but a layup by Propst and free throw by Hope made it a two-possession game at 88-84.

Hope, the Yellow Jackets’ junior point guard, then secured the tournament title by going 4-for-4 at the free-throw line over the final 33 seconds. Waynesburg made 28 of 33 free throws in the game.

Durham and Byrum Louco each scored 10 points.

Wash & Jeff 75, Franciscan 72: Nate Bellhy scored a game-high 21 points, and Washington & Jefferson used a huge advantage at the free-throw line, as the Presidents defeated Franciscan, 75-72, in the opening round of the W&J tournament at Henry Memorial Center.

The Presidents (1-0) will play Wilkes, a 87-75 winner over Penn State-Greater Allegheny in the other first-round game, in today’s (3 p.m.) championship contest.

W&J had to come from behind against Franciscan as the visitors led 37-32 at halftime. The Presidents finally moved ahead midway through the second half when they put together a 15-2 run to take a 72-62 lead.

Franciscan rallied late and pulled to within 73-72 with less than two minutes to play. Nick Martin made two free throws for W&J, giving the Presidents a 75-72 lead with 50 seconds left. Franciscan then missed four three-point shots in the final 33 seconds.

Mitch Locher scored 15 points and Doug Johnson had 10 for W&J, which made four fewer field goals than Franciscan but made 25 of 43 free throws. Franciscan was 10-for-15 at the free-throw line and made 10 of 28 three-pointers.

Moses Sullivan led Franciscan with 19 points and Justin Hortsman had 13.

Women’s results

Illinois Wesleyan 84, Wash & Jeff 70: Colleen McMahon scored 22 points and Illinois Wesleyan forged a 14-0 run midway through the game en route to an 84-70 victory over Washington & Jefferson in the first round of the John Hopkins tournament.

Illinois Wesleyan scored the final four points of the first half to take a 40-31 lead into the locker room. The Titans then started the second half with a 10-0 run to open a 19-point advantage.

Lexi Baltes scored 14 points and Katy Seibring had 13 for Illinois Wesleyan, which held W&J to 33 percent shooting from the field.

W&J had four players score in double figures, led by Beka Bellhy and Chelsea Apke with 16 points each. Apke had 13 rebounds. Valarie Dunlap had 13 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.

Kara Seamon also scored 15 points.

Pitt-Bradford 81, Waynesburg 75: A strong second half sent Pitt-Bradford to an 81-75 victory over Waynesburg in the consolation game of the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament at York.

Alicia Kimmel led UPB (1-1) with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Waynesburg (0-2), which was led by hayden Guilani with 22 points, led 35-32 at halftime. Brooke Simons scored 15 points and Maura Bobby had 12.