Although Monday’s game against Westminster ended in another defeat, Waynesburg University head basketball coach Tim Fusina was pleased with his team’s effort.

The Yellow Jackets lost and fell to 0-9 on the season, but hung in there with one of the best teams in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference in the 85-74 setback.

The same could not be said for Wednesday’s 95-48 non-conference defeat at the hands of the Muskingum Muskies. 

“We didn’t guard the ball,” Fusina said. “We didn’t contest shots. We didn’t talk defensively, or offensively. We didn’t compete very hard.”

The Muskies [5-3, 2-1] scored 55 points in the first half, with Marcus Dempsey scoring 24 of those. Muskingum was 20-29 from the field in the first 20 minutes, and finished the night shooting 55%. The Muskies were also lights out from downtown, going 16-28. For Fusina, Muskingum’s success offensively was a partially due to Waynesburg’s defense not doing its job.  

“We allowed them to attempt uncontested shots,” he said. “We’re playing a college basketball game, so anybody on the floor can make an uncontested jumper, and we allowed them to take a lot of uncontested jumpers.”

Dempsey ended the night with a game-high 27 points. For Waynesburg, the only performer of note was Isaiah Alonzo, who scored 16 points.

With the loss, Waynesburg is now 0-10, and has lost 12 straight dating back to last season.

Whether the Jackets lose by 47 points or by one point, Fusina is tired of, at best, settling for moral victories.

“I don’t think we competed very hard, if at all last night,” Fusina said. “Monday I thought we competed, but I’m getting tired of moral victories just because we compete hard. We need to start applying it and start doing little things that can help get us some wins, and we’re not doing that right now.”

Waynesburg’s next game will be at Malone in another out of conference affair tonight at 7. 

Overall,  Fusina summed up the night in one sentence. 

“We didn’t compete, and that got us blown out,” he said.