Posted: Nov 08, 2023
By: Athletic Communications Student Assistant AJ Schultz '27
BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University men's basketball team defeated non-conference opponent Washington & Jefferson College in the 2032-24 season opener by a final score of 100-82 in the Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center.
BW (1-0) Leaders
- Sophomore guard Ray Ellington (Westlake) led the way for the Yellow Jackets with a career-best 24 points while also recording a team-high eight rebounds
- Freshman forward AJ Pestello (Cuyahoga Falls/Stow-Munroe Falls) knotched 18 points, six rebounds, and two blocks in his college debut
- Sophomore guard Brayden Hamilton (Brunswick) shot 5-8 from three on his way to 17 points
- Senior Academic All-OAC guard Luke Driscoll (Carmel, Calif./Stevenson School) tallied a career-high six assists
- The Yellow Jackets had five players scoring in double figures
Washington & Jefferson (0-1) Leaders
- Sophomore guard Brandon Jakiela was the game's leading scorer with 26 points
- Sophomore forward Alex Acosta grabbed nine boards while adding 13 points
First Half (BW, 57-44)
- Washington & Jefferson got the scoring started with a mid-range jumper
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Both sides went back and forth, until a three from Hamilton put the Yellow Jackets in front 12-10
- BW exploded for a 10-0 run, increasing their lead to 22-10
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In limited minutes off the bench, sophomore guard Myles Reynolds (Cleveland/St. Edward) ignited for 10 points on an efficient 4-7 from the field
- The Yellow Jackets ran away with the lead, finishing the half on a 22-10 run in the final 10:16
- Both teams battled to the end of the half, with the Yellow Jackets leading 57-44
- Ellington led BW in scoring with 13 points
- Jaikela led the Presidents with 14 points
Second Half (BW, 100-82)
- W&J came out strong in the second half with a 7-2 run
- The Yellow Jackets began to run away with the lead, however, thanks to scoring from Driscoll and freshman forward Andrew Griffith (Akron/Archbishop Hoban)
- The BW lead grew to as much as 25 after another three from Hamilton to make it 90-65
- Freshman guard Caden Madigan (Wadsworth) got BW to three digits with his first college bucket
- Pestello and Ellington scored 11 points each
- Jakiela added another 12 points
The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Saturday, November 11th when they host a non-conference game against Geneva (Pa.) College in the Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center with tipoff at 2:00 p.m.
