News Release

WAYNESBURG, Pa. — Waynesburg won the first of two home games it will play against Thiel College in a four-day span on Saturday, as the Yellow Jackets triumphed, 82-77, in the regular-season finale at the Marisa Fieldhouse. With the win, fourth-place Waynesburg will host fifth-place Thiel in the quarterfinal round of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Tournament on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

Junior center Phil McLaughlin had a monster game for the Jackets. McLaughlin posted career highs with 22 points and 15 rebounds. He helped Waynesburg stave off a Thiel comeback in the second half.

After the Tomcats went on a 17-2 run spanning 5:21 in the middle of the second half to take a 61-60 lead with 8:52 remaining, McLaughlin scored four of his 12 second-half points to reclaim the leads for Waynesburg. Thiel would lead three more times down the stretch. In addition to McLaughlin, freshman forward Shawn Coleman and senior guard Mike King provided go-ahead buckets for Waynesburg.

King, who had the spotlight already as the lone senior on both the Waynesburg men's and women's team on Senior Recognition Night, hit the game-winner in the final minute. After Thiel's Henry Passerello drained a go-ahead three-pointer with 1:17 remaining, King answered with his baseline jumper with 47 seconds remaining. Waynesburg would make 4 of 4 foul shots in the waning moments to ice the win.

Freshman point guard Beau Wilson and King scored 20 and 18 points, respectively. Wilson shot a sharp 6 of 7 from the field and 6 of 6 from the free throw line to help the Jackets shoot 49.2 percent from the field as a team. The Tomcats shot 42.9 percent from the field.

Waynesburg will host a quarterfinal game in the PAC Tournament for a third-straight year when Thiel visits the Marisa Fieldhouse again on Tuesday. The Jackets defeated Washington & Jefferson in the four-versus-five pigtail game in 2002, while last year sixth-seeded Bethany upset three-seeded Waynesburg.