WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Jan. 11) – Back on Jan. 4, the Waynesburg University men's basketball team trailed Geneva 47-33 at halftime, but came back to down the Golden Tornadoes 76-72. What the Yellow Jackets did on Saturday during their home game with Washington & Jefferson made that comeback seem tame.
 
Trailing 47-33 to the Presidents at the break, the Waynesburg (2-12, 2-3) offense exploded for 52 points in the second half to blow out the Presidents (8-6, 3-3) 85-70. Not only did the Jackets have no trouble putting the ball in the hoop, but they also held W&J to just 23 points in the period.
 
Waynesburg led 32-29 with five minutes remaining in the first half. However, W&J turned things around in a big way thanks to a half-ending 18-1 run that gave the Presidents their sizeable lead at the break.
 
The W&J advantage grew to 16 points early in the second half, but the final 18:34 of competition belonged to the host squad. Trailing 51-35, the Jackets started their memorable comeback with a 20-5 surge that made the score 56-55 in W&J's favor with 13:21 showing on the game clock.
 
After the Presidents broke up the Waynesburg surge with a field goal, the next seven-plus minutes were evenly played, with W&J tying the game at 66-66 with a pair of free throws. From that point forward, the rest of the game belonged to the Orange and Black, which lit up the scoreboard to the tune of a 15-0 run that lasted until there was just 1:12 remaining in the contest.
 
Freshman guard Ryan Felberg (Twinsburg, Ohio / Twinsburg) tallied eight of those points, while fellow rookie Briston Bennett (Mt. Morris, Pa. / Trinity Christian) chipped in five of his own. Felberg put the game away by tallying four of the final six points of the afternoon.
 
Thanks in part to his strong finish, Felberg tallied a personal collegiate-best 22 points on seven-of-11 shooting. He connected on three-of-six attempts from three-point range and made five-of-seven tries from the foul line.
 
Senior guard Frank Bozicevic put on a clinic from long range, while making all of five of his three-point attempts in the victory. Those 15 points made up the bulk of a 21-point outburst that came on a seven-of-10 effort from the floor. He helped out his teammates with four assists.
 
Sophomore forward Isaiah Alonzo (Chandler, Ariz. / Tri-City Christian Academy) was solid at both ends of the court. Not only did he contribute 12 points and six rebounds to his team's winning efforts, but he also blocked a game-high four shots. Bennett matched Alonzo with 12 points. He went a perfect five-for-five from the floor, grabbed five rebounds, handed out three assists and swiped three steals.
 
Senior Cam Auld was the fifth of five double-digit scorers with 11 points on four-of-eight shooting. He also grabbed five rebounds on the day.
 
Waynesburg was outstanding from the field, shooting 57.7 % from the field (30-of-52). The Jackets held W&J to a 23-of-59 effort from the field (39%).
 
Waynesburg will look for its third-straight victory on Wednesday, when it travels to Saint Vincent. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.