PITTSBURGH, Pa. - February 7, 2024 - Chatham Women's Basketball (20-3, 16-2) secured its first 20-win season in program history with a 62-50 win over the Allegheny Gators (12-10, 11-6) on Wednesday at the Athletics and Fitness Center. With the win, the Cougars clinched a first-round bye in the PAC Championship Tournament.

Sophomore Hannah Chenault led the game with 16 points, including going 11-12 from the free-throw line, with four rebounds and two assists. Junior Aurielle Brunner scored 11 points and added five steals, four assists and three rebounds. Brunner eclipsed 100 steals on the season, which makes her the first player in Chatham basketball history, men or women, to accomplish that feat. She ranks fourth in the country with 103 steals. Sophomore Alyssa Laukus netted 11 points of her own to go along with five rebounds and two steals.

The Cougars fell behind early as the Gators led 7-2 after the first four minutes of play. Laukus and junior Emily Durkee helped Chatham pull within two before Allegheny ended the quarter with a 15-11 advantage. 

The Cougars opened the second quarter with five straight points to take their first lead of the day, but only scored five more points in the rest of the period as the Gators led by five at the break.

Allegheny opened the second half with a 5-0 run to lead by 10, their largest of the contest. However, Chatham would score the next 11 points as part of an extended 22-2 run to take control of the game. That run saw five points from Chenault and four each from Brunner, Laukus and graduate Kaitlyn Fertig. Chenault would score nine more points down the stretch, all on free throws, to lead the Cougars to a 28-point fourth quarter that sealed the victory.

Chatham shot 34.4% (21-61) from the field and just 23.5% (4-17) from deep, but forced 25 Allegheny turnovers and collected 15 steals. The Cougars won the board battle 44-35, which included 14 offensive rebounds.

Women's Basketball is back in the AFC on Saturday for Senior Day as they take on the Waynesburg Yellow Jackets.