Freshman guard Marc Lodovico (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) hit back-to-back threes to open the half and freshman backcourt mate Beau Wilson (Daybrook, W.Va./Clay-Batelle) hit two more triples to lead the Yellow Jackets (8-13, 2-4 PAC) to the early 17-5 lead.
W&J (7-14, 1-5 PAC) cut the lead to eight points, but Lodovico drilled a three-pointer three seconds before halftime to give WC a 38-27 advantage heading into the locker room.
Lodovico led Waynesburg with nine points at the break, while freshman guard Brandon Studer (Johnstown, Pa./Conemaugh Valley) countered with 11 for the Presidents.
The teams went scoreless for the first 3:55 of the second half until Studer knocked down a trey from the corner to slice the lead to 38-30. Freshman forward Matt Vorndran (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) made a lay-up 30 seconds later to narrow the lead to 38-32.
Waynesburg extended its lead to 48-36 with a 10-4 spurt, but freshman forward Kevin Bringman’s (Fairview Park, Ohio/St. Edward’s) three-pointer at the 8:21 mark made it a 51-43 Yellow Jacket lead. A Studer triple trimmed the lead to seven points with just over five minutes remaining, but that was as close as the Presidents would get.
Studer led the W&J effort with a game-high 22 points on 7-of-16 shooting. He canned six three-pointers and also grabbed seven rebounds. Bringman and freshman guard Jon Koch (New Kensington, Pa./Plum) both notched seven points. W&J shot just 30 percent (20-for-67) and held a 49-42 rebounding advantage.
Wilson notched 17 points, four rebounds and four assists for the Yellow Jackets, while Lodovico finished with 14 points and seven assists.
W&J hosts Thiel in its next contest on Wednesday at 8:00 pm.
-- PRESIDENTS --