Westminster welcomes Waynesburg in Saturday PAC men's matinee

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa.--Westminster College men's basketball team will look to rebound from its initial setback of the season as the Titans take on Waynesburg University.

Saturday's Presidents' Athletic Conference contest tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at Ron Galbreath Court inside Buzz Ridl Gymnasium.

Despite a second-half comeback bid Westminster was defeated by defending conference kingpin Washington & Jefferson (75-68) earlier this week. That snapped the Titans' season-opening 4-game win skein.

Thus far this season Coach Kevin Siroki's squad is out-scoring opponents, 77.6 to 66.2. Westminster also has battled to a virtual deadlock on the boards (39.2 to 40.4), and the Titans have turned over opponents 91 times while having committed 73 miscues of their own.

Conversely, the Yellow Jackets of 4th-year Head Coach Tim Fusina (23-41 overall, 18-25 PAC) are permitting 70.7 points-per-game while averaging 60.5. After back-to-back losses to start the season – Kenyon (71-54) and Chatham University (76-71) – Waynesburg won at Bethany (76-61) before bowing to Thiel (75-41).

Westminster has been led thus far by junior swing-guard Andrew Clark (New Middletown, Ohio/Springfield Local High), who is averaging 19.6 points and 6 rebounds per game (plus 10 steals and 6 assists). Senior Austin O'Hara (Girard, Ohio/Girard High) has complemented Clark (13 ppg., 7.2 rpg., team-leading 23 assists and 11 steals), as has junior guard Reese Leone (Beloit, Ohio/West Branch High). Leone has lent 12.8 ppg., 4.4 rpg. 19 assists and 11 steals.

The Titans' balanced scoring attack also has included newcomers Jaxon Hendershott (Salem, Ohio/West Branch High), Trey DePietro (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman High), and Bobby Ray (Jefferson, Ohio/Jefferson Area High), who are averaging 6.6, 6.4 and 6.4 ppg., respectively. Hendershott has hit 9 of 22 attempts from beyond the arc (41%), while DePietro has added 5.8 rpg., 6 steals and a team-high 8 blocked shots.

Senior standout Jordan Zupko (Mineral Ridge, Ohio/Mineral Ridge High) has contributed 5.4 ppg., 4.4 rpg. and 8 assists, and another newcomer, Quincy Jones (Youngstown, Ohio/Chaney High) has chipped in 4 ppg. and 3.8 rpg.

Waynesburg has been led by 5-foot-11 graduate-student guard Matt Popeck, 6-3 junior guards Jake Scheidt and Bryson Wilt, and 6-4 junior forward Jansen Knotts. In the Yellow Jackets' victory at Bethany Scheidt scored 26 and Popeck produced another 23 points, and Knotts and Wilt 9 and 8, respectively. Popeck and Wilt also divided 16 rebounds.

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