WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Jan. 12) – A packed Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse welcomed visiting Washington & Jefferson into Wednesday's highly anticipated Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) matchup with first-place Waynesburg. The Yellow Jackets took firm control of the game early and looked poised to grab one of its biggest wins in recent program history. Unfortunately, some second-half shooting woes ultimately led to the Presidents coming back to grab a 61-52 win.
 
As the number-one scoring defense in the PAC, Waynesburg (7-4, 3-1) set the tone early and led 28-20 at halftime. The score at the break was made even more impressive by the fact that W&J (11-3, 6-1) came into the game as the top scoring offense in the conference at over 91 points per game. That stingy Jacket defense was on full display over the first 10 minutes of play, as the Yellow Jackets led 18-6 with nine minutes remaining in the first half.
 
A 7-0 run by the Presidents trimmed the home team's advantage down to five (18-13) with just under seven minutes remaining until halftime. However, Waynesburg was able to stop the bleeding before the break and take its eight-point advantage into the locker room.
 
After senior guard Matt Popeck (Washington, Pa. / Washington) posted the first field goal of the second half to make the score 30-21, momentum took a big swing into W&J's favor. Another 7-0 spurt by the visitors made the score 30-28 with 15:22 remaining in the contest.
 
The Jackets managed to stay in the lead for just under five more minutes when a pair of President free throws tied the score at 34-34. A W&J three pointer with 9:37 showing on the game clock put Waynesburg behind for the first time on the night. Unfortunately, the Jackets were never able to claw their way back into the lead. Ironically, it was an impressive defensive showing by W&J that played a major role in the game's final outcome, as Waynesburg was unable to convert a field goal for nearly 12 minutes.
 
A pair of free throws by Popeck with just over four minutes left to play cut Waynesburg's deficit down to just three points (48-45), but a 10-3 run by the Presidents resulted in a 58-48 lead for the road squad with 36 seconds left to play.
 
Graduate student Nijon Kirkman (Cleveland, Ohio / John Hay) led Waynesburg with a 14-point, 14-rebound double-double. Those 14 boards were a game high. The veteran forward even showed off his range by connecting on two-of-three three-pointers.
 
Popeck and junior guard Ryan Felberg (Twinsburg, Ohio / Twinsburg) added 14 and 12 points, respectively to the Jacket cause.
 
Waynesburg suffered the loss despite outrebounding the opposition by a 47-41 margin. The Jacket defense also held the Presidents to a 27.4% showing from the floor (17-of-62).
 
The Orange and Black will look to put the disappointment of Wednesday's loss behind them when they face another of the PAC's top teams on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets head to Geneva for a 4 p.m. tipoff.