No. 17 Point Park finishes regular season at 26-2 after Senior Night win over WVU Tech

PITTSBURGH -- No. 17-ranked Point Park University men's basketball finished off the regular season at 26-2 with Friday night's 83-77 win over WVU Tech. It was Senior Night for the Pioneers who are 15-2 in the River States Conference. 

Point Park started the night celebrating its six seniors with a recognition before the game. After an exciting win over WVU Tech (17-9, 10-7 RSC) that included 11 lead changes and six ties, the Pioneers celebrated some more. 

After the victory, the Pioneers staked their claim to the River States Conference regular-season championship by cutting down the nets at CCAC-Allegheny. With the lead in the RSC points system heading into Friday and another victory in hand, the Point Park team felt strongly about their status. 

The RSC regular-season champion will earn automatic qualification to the NAIA national tournament. With six RSC games on Saturday, the final day of the regular season, the Pioneers will have to wait to have official word on that. 

Jo Valrie scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and Jalen Stamps put up 19 points and seven assists to lead Point Park to victory.

Nathaniel Van with 10 points and Nazareth Fisher continuing his tear with 10 points and eight rebounds on a perfect 5 for 5 shooting off the bench lifted the Pioneers.

Jamisen Smith contributed nine points and five assists while fellow senior Jordan Stowe added six points and six boards. 

A team effort from Point Park got the better of Ashton Parker's heroic effort of 39 points and 10 rebounds for WVU Tech. Teammate Braden Chapman added 19 points as those two accounted for most of the Golden Bears' points.

After getting out to a 44-37 lead the Pioneers started the second half on a run. Point Park was ahead 58-43 with 14:30 left, which was as a result of a 14-6 spurt out of the locker room. Stamps nailing a 3-pointer and Jags Jhawar putting back a missed shot capped off the rally.

But led by Parker, WVU Tech battled back to draw even at 67-67 with 5:35 to go. A basket and a foul shot and then a trey at the top of the key -- both by Parker -- tied the game up.

Point Park had answer, however, as it scored the next eight points in a row. Van and Stamps both connected from the outside, and that was followed up by Jordan Stowe getting a steal and then a transition layup to make the score 75-67 with 4:06 remaining.

Stamps feeding Fisher for an inside basket and then driving to the hoop on his own had the Pioneers still up by eight, 81-73, at the 1:34 mark.

Point Park had trouble putting the game away at the foul line, but key stops by the defense kept the Pioneers ahead until the end. WVU Tech did not make a field goal the final 2:05 and missed its last five shot attempts. 

The Pioneers were efficient offensively shooting over 52 percent in each half and for the game. Point Park had 50 points come in the paint to keep the high percentage going. A key all year has been rebounding where Point Park led 44-34 over WVU Tech. 

Point Park's senior class included Stamps, Stowe and Smith along with Amistad Hacket, Denaez Hargett and Malcolm Murphy. That group has led a big turnaround of Pioneers basketball, which has won 49 games the last two years and a conference-high 28 RSC games since the start of last season. 

Point Park will being playing a home playoff game in the RSC Championship quarterfinals on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. The opponent is TBA with the winner moving on the semifinals March 2. The finals are March 5 with the higher seed hosting each game of the tournament.