WASHINGTON, Pa. - Chatham Women's Basketball (3-3, 1-2) fell by the score of 64-54 to the Washington & Jefferson Presidents (5-1, 3-0) on Tuesday night at the Salvitti Family Gymnasium. 

Hannah Chenault led the Cougars in scoring with 13 points, including three three-pointers. Madison Nereu scored 11 points and was 7-8 from the foul line. Chenault and Nereu each grabbed five rebounds. Charjae Brock scored eight and also pulled down five boards. 

The Cougars took a 2-0 lead just four seconds into the contest on a pair of free throws from Leah Harkenrider. Chatham turned it over on each of the next two possessions, which allowed W&J to take a 3-2 lead, but a three-pointer from Chenault gave the Cougars the lead once more. Both teams played up tempo and traded baskets for the next handful of minutes before Harkenrider knocked down a three from the wing to start an 8-0 run for the Cougars. Chatham ended the first quarter with a 19-14 lead.

The Presidents started the second quarter with a 7-0 run to take a two-point lead before a pair of free throws by Nereu tied the game at 21. The Cougars then took the lead when Nereu scored again off a post move, and they extended that lead on a driving layup from Brock. Another two free throws from Nereu made it 27-23 midway through the quarter, but W&J responded with five straight points to take a one-point lead. The two teams went into the halftime break tied at 32.

Chatham took a 35-32 lead on a triple by Chenault in the opening seconds of the second half, but W&J would answer with a 6-0 run before another Chenault three tied the game again at 38. The two teams stayed close, tying again at 45 and 47 before the Presidents jumped ahead 53-49 to end the third quarter. In the fourth, the Cougars pulled within two points at 6:26, but a 9-0 Presidents run put the game out of reach.

Chatham ended the day with a 30.4% (17-56) field-goal percentage and a 28.6% (6-21) clip from deep. W&J wasn't much more efficient, ending at 33.3% (23-69) from the field and 20.0% (4-20) from deep, but the Presidents out-rebounded the Cougars by a whopping 23 boards.

The Cougars return next Wednesday after the holiday break to take on Waynesburg at home.