Waynesburg University’s men’s basketball team has had a surprising start to the season, opening with a 0-3 record after being ranked fourth in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference preseason poll.

“We do not guard to the level that has been the standard of this program,” head coach Tim Fusina “We are successful when we guard.” 

The Yellow Jackets suffered their third loss on Saturday, falling 67-58 to Oberlin University. In the game, Waynesburg was out-rebounded 50-37 and shot just 36% from the field.

Fusina spoke about his team’s offensive struggles after the loss.

“We give up too many second-chance points, don’t do a good enough job in transition, and our offensive production has not been at an acceptable level,” Fusina said. “We rush too many shots and don’t get to the free-throw line enough.”

Waynesburg allowed 15 second-chance points in the defeat to Oberlin.

Suggs Leads in Scoring

Senior guard P.J. Suggs led Waynesburg in scoring once again, finishing with 19 points. He has been the team’s leading scorer in all three games so far this season.

“I feel the reason I’ve been successful this year is because I’ve just been letting the game come to me instead of forcing things,” Suggs said. “Last year, after I got hurt, I found myself trying to make plays that weren’t there.”

Suggs added that his confidence has been a key factor in his success. 

“I worked really hard on my game this offseason. Just having trust in the work I put in has been working for me,” Suggs said. “I also feel like the coach has put me in positions to be successful, and I’ve gained his trust. That makes me feel a lot more comfortable on the court.”

Baker Contributes Double-Double

Graduate student Antone Baker, the former PAC Defensive Player of the Year, was the second-leading scorer for the Yellow Jackets, posting 10 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Baker recorded his first double-double of the season.

Goins Has Best Game as a Yellow Jacket

Junior Jalen Goins played his best game as a Yellow Jacket, finishing with eight points and a team-high 31 minutes. Goins, a transfer from PennWest California, has shown signs of adjusting well to Waynesburg’s system.

Fusina Reflects on Early Struggles

Fusina spoke candidly about the team’s slow start, emphasizing that the

Yellow Jackets need to execute better, regardless of whether they’re facing conference or non-conference opponents. 

“We have not played the right way yet, and that is a problem,” Fusina said. “You want to win every game you play, regardless if it’s a conference game or not. Our first three opponents are a combined 8-1 right now, so this has been a challenging stretch. However, we need to do more to compete.”