WASHINGTON, Pa. - February 23, 2023 - Chatham Men's Basketball earned a trip to the PAC Championship game for the second-straight season by knocking off one-seeded W&J 87-61 on the road in the semifinal Thursday night. The Cougars will visit the two-seeded Allegheny Gators in the PAC title game.

The Cougar offense was guided by junior guard Simon Boyer and sophomore guard Blaine Gartley, who had 26 and 21 points, respectively. Boyer was 12-12 from the free-throw line and Gartley was 9-15 from the field. Freshman forward James Thomas pulled down 17 rebounds to go along with four points and three assists. Senior guard Marcos Cintron netted 14 points and graduate wing Nick Bomar tallied 11.

The Cougars opened the game on a 15-2 run, thanks to solid defense and strong rebounding, particularly from Thomas, who had five boards in the first five minutes. Chatham kept its foot on the gas for the rest of the first half, entering the break with a 42-21 lead. The Cougars maintained a hefty cushion throughout the remainder of the contest, leading by as many as 29 points.

The Cougars held the Presidents to 1-20 from three-point range just one night after Women's Basketball didn't allow a triple against W&J (0-23) in the same building. Chatham shot 84% (21-25) from the charity stripe and 49.2% (30-61) from the field. The Cougars also won the rebound battle 48-36.