By: Brock Owens

For The Yellow Jacket

Waynesburg University Men’s Basketball is almost here. The beginning of the season had to wait a few more days, but the team is set to tip-off its season at 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon against Westminster in the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse. The original season opener was supposed to be Wednesday night against Grove City, but COVID-19 postponed that game.

The Head Coach for the men’s basketball team, Coach Tim Fusina, wasted no time or words when asked how excited he and his players are to play their first game.

“Very,” Fusina said.

It has been just a few weeks shy of a full year since the last game the team has played, but seems like much more. 

“It feels like it’s been longer than a year,” Fusina said

Fusina is not concerned that the hiatus could make his players a little rusty, but did mention that they have almost an entirely new roster with only five or six returners from last season’s roster. Rather than rusty there are two other words he would use to describe this team.

“Youth and inexperience,” Fusina said.

The returning players are not the only focus for the Jackets head coach. Fusina believes a few of the new players will probably start on Saturday and guys that are coming off the bench probably are going to play a lot. The group is one that he expressed excitement in working with, stating that they are young and competitive.

Coach Fusina confirmed Matt Popeck will be back after he suffered a season ending injury in the second game last season. Even though he will be back, Popeck will be worked back into form slowly.

“We don’t want any setbacks,” Fusina said about the injury. “I want him to play in every game that we play to the best of his ability for as long as he can and stay healthy.”

The importance of Popeck’s return is beyond what he does with the basketball to Fusina though. 

“He competes, he plays hard at all times, winning is important to him, and from those things right there he instills that in our new guys,” Fusina said.

Unlike the men’s team, the women’s basketball team got to play its season opener Wednesday night, but lost 67-51 to Grove City. Despite the loss, Waynesburg Women’s Basketball Head Coach Sam Jones was pleased being back on the court.

“It was amazing to be out there,” Jones said.   

It had been 342 days since the team last played.

One of the largest bright spots from the game for Waynesburg was Senior Andrea Orlosky. She put up 18 points and pulled down 9 rebounds in the season opener, and Coach Jones sees that continuing throughout the year.

“As a sophomore she averaged seventeen points a game, as a junior she quote unquote had an off year and averaged thirteen points a game.” Jones said. “Andrea is a great player, she will always be a part of our game plan as long as she is on the roster, and yeah, I would anticipate her having a lot of good nights.”

Last season, Brooke Fuller led the team in points and rebounds per game. She did not play in the game against Grove City, but Coach Jones says she will be back to make her season debut against Westminster on Saturday.

The season for the women’s basketball team ended with a playoff loss to Westminster last year, but Jones feels there is no added motivation because of that; 

“It’s a conference game that we just want to win,” Jones said.

The Waynesburg women will be at Westminster Saturday, with the game scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m.