Waynesburg University Men’s basketball traveled north to conference rival Washington and Jefferson and took a tough 78-76 loss to the Presidents after a consequential second half.   

The team had a 12-point lead with less than four minutes remaining in the game, however the lead slipped away. The Yellow Jackets have now allowed five come from behind wins in their last six games. 

“In terms of improving, I think we need to work putting together a full forty minutes of basketball,” junior Casey Keesee said. “We have had multiple opportunities to get wins but have lapses where we don’t play to our full potential, and it hurts us.” 

The Jackets came out of the first half effective from the field shooting over 50-percent. They tallied a total of 20 shots, three of those from outside the arc. They held the Presidents to only a 36-point half and went into the half with a nine-point lead 45-36. 

The Presidents then started to chip away and would collapse the lead in the first ten minutes of the half and even taking the lead 54-53. However, the Jackets would respond with a 17-0 run and would acquire a 12-point lead 75-63 with three minutes remaining in the game.  

The Presidents would have a run of their own finishing the game on a 13-1 run. The Presidents hit two three-pointers within the last 40 seconds taking the lead 76-75. The Jackets had one more chance as a shooting foul beyond the arc would send a Jacket to the line to potential tie the game with one second left  

Waynesburg made the first free throw but missed the second one forcing the third one to be a rebound attempt. The Presidents recovered and the Jackets would fall 76-75. 

“We need to remember why we are playing the game,” senior Jaylen Davis said. “To go out there and have fun.” 

Graduate student Antone Baker lead in scoring for the Jackets with 25 points with Davis behind him with 16. Nine Waynesburg players contributed to the scoring in the matchup. 

The Jackets are now 7-16 overall and 5-13 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, sitting at ninth in the conference, eliminated from playoffs. 

The Jackets play in Franciscan against the Barons this Wednesday.  

“Our mindset going into this game is it won’t be an easy one,” sophomore Aiden Blake said. “We pulled out the victory last time in a thriller overtime win that came down to the final buzzer. We are going in ready to get to work and not take them lightly.”  

Tip-off is 7:30p.m.