W&J men fall to Chatham in PAC title game
PITTSBURGH – The Washington & Jefferson men’s basketball team was one win shy of the NCAA Division III tournament.
Top-seeded Chatham defeated W&J in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championship game, 81-69, Saturday night.
The defeat set W&J’s record at 21-7 overall and 15-5 in conference play.
Matt Seidl scored a team-high 20 points to lead the Presidents. Nathan Plotner followed with 13, Alex Acosta had 12 and Matthew Carte 11.
Diaun Pinkett led three Chatham players in double figures with 21 points. Simon Boyer pumped in 18 points and Lovenson Xavier had 16.
W&J scored the first five points of the game before Chatham settled in and took the lead, which they held for the remainder of the first half. The Cougars’ biggest lead of the half was 30-13.
W&J was able to work its way back from the 17-point deficit by going on an 11-4 run, pulling to within 30-22.
Chatham scored the first seven points of the second half for a 43-30 lead. The Presidents fell to a 19-point deficit with 9:36 left in regulation.
W&J used a late 16-7 run to close to within seven points with 2:06 remaining, but Chatham outscored the Presidents 7-2 down the stretch.