BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – In one of the bigger regular season games inside Metheny Fieldhouse in recent memory, the Geneva College men's basketball team couldn't hold onto a big first half lead and fell in the closing moments to W&J, 82-80. The Golden Tornadoes lost out on their chance to take over first place in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), falling to 16-8, 13-6 in the PAC. W&J solidified its first-place standing, improving to 18-6 overall, 15-4 in the PAC.
The game could not have started any better for Geneva. Junior Ryan Rachic opened the scoring with two free throws, followed by a three-pointer. Rachic ended up scoring 12 early points as the Golden Tornadoes grabbed a 16-5 advantage five minutes into the game.
Geneva then put together a huge run midway through the half. With the Golden Tornadoes leading 23-13, Geneva outscored W&J 17-3 over a seven-minute stretch, taking a 40-16 lead with six minutes remaining until halftime. Things changed quickly, though, as both senior Isaac Massie and senior Lyle Tipton were on the bench with two fouls. The Presidents full-court pressure began to force Geneva turnovers, and five minutes and 14 points later, W&J closed within 40-30. A three-pointer from freshman Jonathan Bertovich helped Geneva steady things temporarily, with the Golden Tornadoes taking a 46-32 lead into the break. Rachic had 17 points in the half.
Massie, who played just six minutes in the first half, opened the second half with a three-pointer and a jumper, pushing the Geneva lead to 51-34, but the Golden Tornadoes struggled to get stops defensively. The Presidents scored the next nine points before a three-pointer from Tipton reestablished a double-digit lead, 54-43, just over three minutes into the second half.
W&J just kept rolling offensively, though, finding success in the paint, and the Presidents eventually took their first lead, 64-63, with nine minutes remaining. The game went back-and-forth over the five minutes, with another Tipton three-pointer giving Geneva a 70-68 edge with just over four minutes left.
However, W&J put together another run, this one ten straight points, over the next two minutes, taking its biggest lead of the game, 78-70, with 2:49 left. Geneva had one last run left, though, fueled primarily by the Tiptons. Sophomore Trevor Tipton hit four free throws, while brother Lyle hit a jumper and then a three-pointer, pulling Geneva within 81-79 with 23 seconds remaining.
Geneva immediately fouled W&J's Matt Seidl, who missed both free throws. Lyle Tipton came down and was fouled in the lane. He made the first free throw, cutting the deficit to one, but missed the second free throw. The rebound bounced back out to Tipton, though, and Geneva called a timeout with nine seconds left, training 81-80. Out of the timeout, the Golden Tornadoes got the ball to Tipton who drove into the paint, putting up a close shot at the rim that just rolled out. W&J got the rebound and made one free throw to finishing out the scoring with one second left, 82-80.
Lyle Tipton finished with 27 points, including 4-of-6 shooting from deep, while grabbing 10 rebounds. Rachic added 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Trevor Tipton finished with 11 points. Geneva shot 45% from the floor, 9-of-25 (36%) from three-point range. Turnovers were the story of the game, with the Golden Tornadoes committing 19 turnovers compared to just eight for W&J. The Presidents turned those turnovers into 21 points. W&J had four players finish in double figures, led by Kyran Mitchell's 21 points.
"This was a tale of two halves," said Head Coach Jeff Santarsiero. "Our energy was great to start the game, and we executed very well both offensively and defensively, just like we game planned. Foul trouble really hurt us, though, and it allowed W&J to get back into the game before halftime. Then in the second half, we just weren't as focused as we needed to be to defeat the first-place team in the conference. You also can't win when you turn the ball over 19 times, leading to 21 points. This hurts, but we'll refocus and get ready for Saturday."
The loss drops the Golden Tornadoes into third place in the PAC, without the possibility of moving higher. Geneva closes out the regular season on Saturday against Saint Vincent at 3:00 p.m. Geneva will recognize its three seniors, Lyle Tipton, Isaac Massie and Nick Ehko, prior to the game.
Through purposeful learning in a community reflecting the full spectrum of God's kingdom, a Geneva College experience inspires students to discover a faith-life calling in service to God and neighbor. Offering 195+ traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality and affordability. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and the International Association for Christian Education (IACE).
