BEAVER FALLS, Pa. (Jan. 17) – The Waynesburg University men's basketball team traveled north to Geneva for a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) matchup against the Golden Tornadoes. Waynesburg's defense took charge of the contest early and never let up, as the visitors wore down the opposition in a 62-43 win.
The Yellow Jackets (6-9, 2-4) and Golden Tornadoes (7-8, 4-2) kept the score close throughout the first half. Points were hard to come by, and with five minutes remaining in the period, the score was tied at 14-14.
The last five minutes were dominated by the Yellow Jackets, who went on an 11-2 run to end the half. Junior guard
Jackson Rhodes (Christchurch, New Zealand / St. Andrews College) provided six of those 11 points to help the Jackets build a 25-16 advantage at halftime. Rhodes led the Jackets through the first 20 minutes of play with nine points and four rebounds.
Waynesburg didn't let off the gas coming out of the break and grew its lead to 34-18 less than four minutes into the period thanks to a 9-2 run. However, over the next six minutes, the Golden Tornadoes attempted to climb back into the game outscoring the Yellow Jackets 16-11 to cut the deficit down to 45-34.
The Orange and Black controlled the last eight minutes of the contest by outscoring Geneva 17-9 to put the finishing touches on its third victory in its last five games. Waynesburg outscored Geneva 37-27 in the second half, with senior guard
Casey Keesee (Tipp City, Ohio / Bethel) leading the second half with 13 points.
Keesee led the Yellow Jackets on the day with a team-high 17 points, while Rhodes was right behind him with 14 points and seven rebounds. Junior guard
Aiden Blake (Parkersburg, W.Va. / Parkersburg South) had a solid day on the court with 13 points and seven rebounds.
The Waynesburg defense held Geneva to 29% shooting from the floor (16-of-55) and 19% from three-point range (5-of-26). The Jackets did an excellent job of protecting the basketball, turning it over just six times.
The Yellow Jackets return home on Wednesday, Jan. 21, to face Bethany. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.
