Wolverines Defeat Presidents 87-67 In PAC Men’s Hoops
WASHINGTON, Pa. – Brett Matson nearly recorded a triple-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to highlight Grove City’s 87-67 PAC men’s basketball victory over Washington & Jefferson on Saturday afternoon at the Henry Memorial Center.
The Wolverines (10-12, 6-8 PAC) shot 54 percent overall (33-of-61) and also received 23 points and five rebounds from Kris Verderber.
W&J (6-17, 2-12 PAC) held a 10-5 lead after six minutes of play, but Grove City used a 15-0 run over a three-minute span to post a 22-11 advantage at the 10:13 mark. The Wolverines led 24-17 at the 8:48 mark and then ended the half with a 24-7 spurt to go in front 48-24 at the break. GCC shot 62 percent in the opening 20 minutes, including 7-of-9 accuracy from three-point range.
The Presidents closed to within 67-56 with 7:38 remaining after a three-pointer by junior guard Zach Bellhy (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry), but that was as close as W&J would get. Christian Durbin’s triple at the 6:23 mark pushed GCC’s lead back to 16 (72-56).
Grove City shot 54 percent overall (33-of-61) and made 9-of-19 three-pointers. Durbin also dished out seven assists for the Wolverines, who held a 39-37 edge on the glass.
Bellhy fired in 24 points (8-of-17 shooting) to lead W&J. Freshman guard Andy Carter (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin) collected his second double-double of the year with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Washington & Jefferson was limited to 33 percent (22-of-66) from the field. The Presidents grabbed 19 offensive rebounds.
W&J looks to snap its eight-game losing streak on Wednesday during its final regular-season home game of the season against Geneva (8:00 pm). The Presidents will honor the two seniors on the 2011-12 roster, Uchenna Okocha (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/University School) and Zach Zelinsky (East Liverpool, Ohio/Beaver Local), following the game.
