WAYNESBURG, Pa. (January 11) – The Waynesburg University men's basketball team could not climb our of an early deficit as the Jackets fell to Washington & Jefferson 75-61 in the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse on Saturday.
Waynesburg falls to 6-8 on the year and 4-5 in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play. W&J rises to 11-4, 7-3 PAC.
W&J scored the game's first 10 points and opened the contest with a 15-2 run. Casey Keesee (Tipp City, Ohio / Bethel) put in the Jackets' first field goal at the 13:15 mark of the first half.
Aiden Blake (Parkersburg, W.Va. / Parkersburg South) provided a spark off the Waynesburg bunch as he sank a pair of first-half threes to make the score 15-8 midway through the half.
A 9-2 Jacket run that included a Korey Mitchum (McHenry, Md. / Southern Garrett (Md.)) three and two baskets by Rayshod Hooper (Baltimore, Md. / St. Frances) cut the deficit the six (27-21), but that was the closest Waynesburg would get in its comeback effort all day. The Presidents scored the next nine points and scored seven points in the final 90 seconds of the half to go into the break with a 43-26 lead.
Waynesburg outscored W&J 35-32 in the second half but was never able to bring the score within single digits. Blake, Ty Williams (Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon McMillan) and Mikey Smith (Medford, N.Y. / William Floyd) provided energy off the Jacket bench in the second half as the trio each finished with a plus-minus of plus-eight or better. Waynesburg outscored W&J 27-12 over the final 11:07 of regulation.
Antone Baker (Maple Heights, Ohio / Maple Heights) had 12 points, seven rebounds, five steals and three assists. Keesee and Blake each had nine points.
Waynesburg shot 8-for-20 from three for its third-most three-point makes this season. The Jackets also won the rebounding battle 43-40.
W&J's press generated 23 Waynesburg turnovers, 20 fast break points and 32 points off turnovers for the Presidents. W&J had five players score in double digits.
Waynesburg finishes its three-game homestand against Grove City on Wednesday at 7 p.m.