Lucic-Jozak’s goal lifts W&J to victory

GROVE CITY, Pa. — Josip Lucic-Jozak layup with 2.3 seconds remaining gave Washington & Jefferson a 64-63 win over Grove City in the semifinals of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournament Thursday night.

Third-seeded W&J (14-13) advanced to the championship game at Bethany Saturday night.

Grove City led 63-60 with 30 seconds left after Bobby Turner sank a pair of free throws. Lucic-Jozak cut the lead to to one with 16.9 left by making two free throws. Grove City then turned the ball over on the subsequent in-bounds play.

Brian Felker missed a jump shot but Lucic-Jozak grabbed the rebound and put back the miss. Following a timeout, Grove City inbounded the ball but W&J’s Wahab Owolabi deflected the pass and the Wolverines could not get off a shot.

Lucic-Jozak finished with 18 points. Albert Varacallo led W&J with a game-high 21 points, including four three-point goals.

Ryan Gerber paced Grove City (17-10) with 20 points while Ryan Gibson added 14 and Turner finished with 10. Shawn Carr grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.

Bethany 105, Thomas More 98

BETHANY, W. Va. — Brody Jackson scored 21 points and Tyler Morando added 18 for the top-seeded Bison (17-10). Jonas Ankrom added 14 points for Bethany, which shot 54 percent from the field (31-of-57).

Joe Testa and Dakota Matz scored 12 apiece, and Carey Palermo (Ursuline) had 10. Petre Petkovski had 12 rebounds.

Matty Owens and Eddie Brown led Thomas More with 27 points apiece.

Women

BEAVER FALLS, Pa. — Allyson Clarke scored 22 points and Renee Rawding added 12, but Geneva fell to Mount Vernon Nazarene, 67-57, in the semifinals of the National Christian College Athletic Association East Regional.

The Golden Tornadoes (20-6) shot just 38 percent from the field (18-of-47) and were out-rebounded, 40-32.

Clarke also had eight rebounds.

Rachel Fiely led Mount Vernon Nazarene (18-11) with 18 points while Amanda Himes added 17. Ashley Brown finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Wilmington 71, Mount Union 47

WILMINGTON — Katie Streck scored 22 points and the Quakers jumped out to a 33-23 halftime lead in the semifinals of the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament.

Gina Hayle added 18 points for Wilmington (21-6), which will play Baldwin-Wallace Saturday in the conference championship game.

Mount Union (10-17) was led by Tessa Pohovey with 11 points and Ashley Ross with 10.