PITTSBURGH, Pa. (Dec .20) – The Waynesburg University men's basketball team traveled to Carlow on Saturday for its final game of the 2025 calendar year and its last non-conference game of the campaign. Powered by 27 points from junior Jackson Rhodes, (Christchurch, New Zealand / St. Andrews College), the Yellow Jackets downed the Celtics 80-70.
 
The win snapped Waynesburg's (4-7) seven-game losing streak.
 
The Yellow Jackets (4-7, 0-2) and Celtics (1-12, 1-3) went back-and-forth over the first eight minutes of action, before the visitors put together an 11-2 run that moved them ahead 28-20 with just over nine minutes remaining in the half. That lead grew to nine with around four minutes left to play in the period.
 
Carlow bounced back to end the half with 14-6 run to pull within a single basket at 39-37 at halftime.
 
Rhodes paced Waynesburg with 15 points in the opening 20 minutes. Senior guard Scott Bilovus (Imperial, Pa. / West Allegheny) added nine, while junior guard Aiden Blake (Parkersburg, W.Va. / Parkersburg South) added eight.
 
Rhodes kept the hot hand as the second half got underway. He tallied 10 of Waynesburg's first 11 points bringing his total to 25 and growing his team's lead to 50-42 3:30 into the period.
 
Momentum swung back into the Celtics' favor thanks to a 9-0 run that put the home team back in front 51-50. Waynesburg quickly grabbed the lead back thanks to a layup by senior Jalen Goins (Morgantown, W.Va. / Morgantown). That field goal kicked off an 8-0 spurt that gave the Jackets a 58-51 advantage. Six of those points came on back-to-back three pointers by senior Casey Keesee (Tipp City, Ohio / Bethel).
 
Once again, the Celtics would not let the Jackets hold a lead and went on an 11-0 run to jump out in front by four (62-58) with 6:36 showing on the clock.
 
In the last six minutes of play, the Yellow Jackets embarked on an impressive game-winning 22-8 run which included three three-pointers to not only regain the lead but pull away for the victory.
 
Rhodes, who had his highest scoring output as a Yellow Jacket, shot 10-of-16 from the floor and 4-of-7 from three-point range. He added six rebounds and two assists to his day.
 
Keesee and Bilovus chipped in 11 points each to the winning effort, while four other players scored between six and nine points.
 
Goins led the Jackets on the glass with a team-high nine rebounds, four of which were of the offensive variety. He truly shined in distributing the basketball, doing so to the tune of a game-best eight assists.
 
Waynesburg if off until Wednesday, Jan. 7, when it returns to Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play with a road game at Chatham. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.