W&J men, women to play for PAC basketball titles
Matthew Carte scored a game-high 21 points, leading four Washington & Jefferson players in double figures as the third-seeded Presidents knocked off second-seeded Saint Vincent 87-79 Thursday night in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournament semifinals at Kennedy Hall.
W&J (21-6) advances to the championship game Saturday at top-seeded Chatham. The Cougars defeated Grove City 91-80 in the other semifinal.
W&J forged a big lead early in the game before the Bearcats fought back and took the lead before halftime. The game was close throughout the second half but W&J took the lead for good at 72-70 on a layup by Cameron Rowell, who finished with 19 points. The basket gave W&J a 72-70 lead with 6:04 remaining and Saint Vincent (20-6) never got closer than one point the rest of the way.
Nathan Plotner had 11 points and Mike Plasko netted 10 for W&J.
Saint Vincent had four players score in double figures led by Osyon Jones with 17 points.
W&J’s fast started resulted in a 29-12 lead. Saint Vincent managed to regroup and took the lead in the final minute of the first half, but a bucket by Plasko put W&J ahead at halftime, 40-39.
The Presidents shot 48 percent and made only four of 15 three-pointers, but they won the game by getting to the free-throw line, where they converted 27 of 32 shots. Carte was 9-for-9 at the charity stripe.
Saint Vincent shot 43 percent and were 14-17 at the foul line but made only three of 19 three-point attempts.
Women’s result
Wash & Jeff 70, Grove City 55:
Katie Kovalchick scored a game-high 20 points, Stellanie Loutsion had 18 and Washington & Jefferson held Grove City to four points in the fourth quarter en route to a 70-55 victory in the PAC tournament semifinals.
The win means W&J (22-4) will host the championship game Saturday (5 p.m.) against Chatham, a 57-45 winner over Allegheny in the other semifinal.
Against Grove City (16-11), the Presidents led almost the entire way but didn’t shake the pesky Wolverines until the fourth quarter. W&J led 24-17 after one quarter and 43-34 at halftime. Kovalchick scored 13 of her points in the opening half.
W&J remained up by nine points heading into the fourth quarter, when Grove City one of 15 shots that prevented the Wolverines from fueling a comeback.
Riley DeRubbo gave W&J three players in double figures as she tossed in 13 points. The Presidents made nine three-point shots and converted 11 of 12 free throws.
Grove City was led in scoring by Meredith Sherrerd’s 14 points. The Wolverines attempted only four free throws, making two.