MEADVILLE, Pa. (Jan. 10) – The Waynesburg University men's basketball team picked up its first Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) win this season with a victory on the road against Allegheny Saturday afternoon. Junior guard
Jackson Rhodes (Christchurch, New Zealand / St. Andrews College) contributed 22 points to secure the 64-49 win.
The Yellow Jackets (5-8, 1-3) and Gators (4-9, 2-2) both got off to slow offensive starts with the two teams combining for just four points over the first six-plus minutes of play.
Two minutes later, momentum began to pick up for the Jackets with a 15-5 run over a four-minute span. Rhodes provided nine of those points in the scoring surge to help give the Jackets a 17-10 lead with just over eight minutes left in the first half.
Holding a 19-14 lead with three minutes remaining in the first period, the Jacket offense caught fire again, this time posting the final 10 points of the half. Sophomore
Demetrius Rivers (Strongsville, Ohio / Glenville) scored all five of his points on the day during the run that put Waynesburg ahead 29-14 heading into the halftime break.
The second half saw each team drop 35 points on the opposition. The opening 10 minutes of the period featured 18 points scored by both squads. Junior guard
Aiden Blake (Parkersburg, W.Va. / Parkersburg South) took center stage for Waynesburg by tallying 10 of those 18 points.
The last 10 minutes of the second half were very similar to the first, with each team scoring 17 points as the contest wore on to its conclusion.
Rhodes set a game high in scoring by shooting 5-of-12 from the floor, 3-of-8 from three-point range and 9-of-10 from the foul line. Blake added 13 to the winning effort, while senior
Jalen Goins (Morgantown, W.Va. / Morgantown) chipped in nine.
Waynesburg went 18-of-22 at the foul line and committed just eight turnovers on the day. On the other hand, Allegheny coughed the ball up 17 times, which were converted into 18 Waynesburg points.
The Yellow Jackets return home to take on Washington & Jefferson on Wednesday, January 14. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.
