PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Chatham Men's Basketball (11-4, 6-1 PAC) grinded out a thrilling 76-74 victory over Franciscan (12-4, 4-3) to grab sole possession of first place in the PAC South with their sixth consecutive conference win.
 
Senior Diaun Pinkett scored a game-high 26 points for the Cougars, connecting on 10 of his 18 field goal attempts while adding 13 rebounds, 4 assists and a block. Easton Fulmer scored 17 points on 6-10 shooting, including 2-4 from three-point range, with a couple of assists. Senior Lovenson Xavier netted 16 points with 2 blocks. Junior Drew Vizenor contributed 5 points, 9 rebounds, 4 blocks and 2 steals for Chatham.
 
The first half was tightly contested, with no team taking more than a 3-point lead until the Cougars took a 26-21 advantage on a Sam Norfleet basket plus one with just over eight minutes remaining in the half. Fulmer's three-pointer a minute later put Chatham up 29-24 before a 6-0 Baron scoring spree gave them the lead. The Cougars would get the upper hand back, however, as two Pinkett layups in the final minute of the half gave them a 5-point halftime advantage.
 
Pinkett and Xavier combined for the first 4 second-half points to put Chatham up by 9. A 14-2 Franciscan response gave them back the lead at 49-46, setting the stage for a competitive fight to the finish. A Pinkett triple and Fulmer jumper gave the Cougars a 60-52 lead with eight minutes remaining. Then with three-and-a-half minutes on the clock and the score 70-65 Chatham, Xavier knocked down a huge three-pointer and Easton Fulmer scored a layup through traffic to give the Cougars a 6-point lead. The Barons battled back to have a chance at tying the game in their last two possessions, but Chatham held its ground to extend its winning streak to six games.
 
The Cougars shot 41.8 percent from the floor (28-67) for the game while Franciscan connected on 34.8 percent of its shots (23-66). The teams exchanged leads 12 times throughout the contest. Chatham improved its record against the Barons to 13-1 all-time.
 
Men's Basketball will travel to Hiram on Saturday for a 3 p.m. matchup with the Terriers.