Nov 14, 2013 5 min read

The college basketball season begins this weekend for the men’s and women’s teams at Washington & Jefferson and Waynesburg. Three of the four teams advanced to at least the semifinals of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference tournament last season and are aiming at a league championship this year.

Both Waynesburg teams open tonight. The W&J squads debut Saturday. Each team will be participating in a season-opening tournament.

The Waynesburg men, under fourth-year head coach Mark Christner, open in the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament at Penn State-Altoona. The Yellow Jackets will play the host team at 7:30 p.m. The other teams in the tournament field are Juniata and Mount Aloysius.

The Waynesburg women are participating in the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament at York College. The Yellow Jackets, under sixth-year head coach Sam Jones, will play Bridgewater (Va.) at 8 p.m.

On Saturday, Henry Memorial Center will be the site for the W&J men’s basketball tournament, which begins with Penn State-Greater Allegheny playing Wilkes in the 5 p.m. opener, followed by the Presidents battling Franciscan at 7 p.m. The consolation game is 1 p.m. Sunday with the title game at 3 p.m.

The W&J women will be playing in the Mike Durgala Memorial Tournament that is hosted by John Hopkins. The Presidents play Illinois Wesleyan in the opening round Saturday at 3 p.m. Johns Hopkins plays Salisbury in the other first-round game.

The Waynesburg men return 13 players and their top seven scorers from last season’s 10-17 team that defeated Westminster in the PAC tournament.

“I believe we are on the right track to restoring success to this program,” Christner said.

The Yellow Jackets are a junior-dominated team, led by 6-5 forward Jason Propst, who led by Waynesburg in scoring (13.8 points per game) and rebounding (7.3) last season. Junior forward Jacob Fleegle (10.9) and junior point guard Casey Hope (88 percent free-throw shooter) also return.

“The junior class in our program provides the backbone of our team,” Christner said. “They all knew what they were signing up for when we recruited them, but they all won in high school. They wanted to be catalysts for change and they have been just that up to this point. They have more to come.”

The Waynesburg women were hit hard by graduation and return only one starter, senior forward Elaine Hasek (7.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg), from last year’s 14-13 team. The record was somewhat of a disappointment as the Yellow Jackets had an experienced team that was coming off a 20-win season.

“Last season was frustrating,” Jones said. “However, many teams would love to finish 14-13. That would be a good year. We have built something here that people want to be a part of and a culture where being average is not good enough.”

Hasek and forward Emily Miller are the only seniors on the team. Junior guard Hayden Giuliani started 11 games last year and will be counted on to provide scoring from the perimeter.

“We will be a different team, for sure, but I am confident in the talent we have here,” Jones said. “I feel that while we are young, we will still be a strong team within the PAC.”

The W&J men, under eight-year head coach Glenn Gutierrez, are coming off a 9-18 season but they made a run to the PAC semifinals, where they lost an intense and close game to Saint Vincent. The Presidents return an experienced club but must replace high-scoring guard Zach Bellhy, who averaged a team-high 18.6 points per game and finished his career as the fourth-leading scorer in W&J history with 1,504 points.

Among the returnees is 6-6 forward Nate Bellhy, Zach’s brother. Nate Bellhy averaged 14.3 points and a team-leading nine rebounds per game last season. Capable of scoring in the low post and from three-point range, Nate Bellhy had two 30-point games in his first season with the Presidents.

Also back are junior guards Mike Resnick (8.0 ppg) and Doug Johnson (6.2 ppg).

The W&J women, under 10th-year head coach Jina DeRubbo, are expecting a big season, returning four starters from a team that won 21 games and advanced to the PAC tournament final.

Senior forward Chelsea Apke and junior center Valarie Dunlap combined to average 28 points and 18 rebounds per game last year. They will give the Presidents a dominating frontcourt. A replacement must be found for guard Emily Abraham’s perimeter shooting.

Point guard Kara Seamon (6.7 ppg) is back, and the Presidents are expecting big things from senior guard Alexa Burzese (4.9 ppg), junior guard Alexa DelGreco (4.0 ppg) and sophomore forward Beka Bellhy (5.0 ppg).

“I think we will shoot the ball well from the outside, but we need to find someone who can replace the production Emily brought,” DeRubbo said. “I think Alexa Burzese will have a great year. Much like Chelsea, we need a more consistent year out of Alexa DelGreco. She can make a difference for us when she plays well. Our players trust Kara at the point.”