PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Chatham Men's Basketball (15-7, 10-4 PAC) won their ninth consecutive game at the Athletic and Fitness Center on Saturday afternoon, defeating Geneva (9-14, 6-8) 89-71.
Senior
Lovenson Xavier led the Cougars with 21 points and 6 rebounds on 9-14 shooting, including 3-6 from three-point range. Senior
Diaun Pinkett scored 20 points while shooting 8-14 with a game-high 2 blocks. Senior
Jake TenBerge added 18 points nd collected a team-high 7 boards. Graduate student
Zach Genther contributed 13 points and shot 4-5 from the field with a game-high 2 steals and 4 assists for Chatham.
The Golden Tornadoes had a hot start, leading 12-3 prior to the first media timeout. Seven minutes into the game, Geneva still led 17-10, and it held a 26-19 advantage with 8 minutes remaining until halftime. The Cougars did not cut into their deficit until TenBerge's bucket plus one with five minutes left in the first half made it a 4-point game. With two-and-a-half minutes showing on the clock, the Golden Tornadoes still led by 7, but layups by
Drew Vizenor and Pinkett followed by a TenBerge triple allowed Chatham to even the score at the break.
The Cougars extended that 7-0 run to 21-2 at the beginning of the second half, and Genther's layup made the score 55-43 in favor of Chatham. Geneva's 7-0 run cut its deficit to 5 points, but a 10-2 Cougar run in response with three-point baskets from Xavier and
Easton Fulmer gave Chatham full control. Pinkett's three-pointer to give the Cougars a 74-59 lead with five minutes to go was followed up by a Genther basket from deep, and Chatham held on for an 18-point victory as Xavier gave the Cougars their largest lead with 20 seconds left.
Chatham's 54.1 percent shooting (33-61) and 40 percent three-point shooting (10-25) were its best percentages in 11 games. The Cougars shot 64.3 percent in the second half (18-28), while the golden Tornadoes shot 31 percent (9-29) in the second half of play. Chatham's 4 turnovers were its fewest in a game in program history.
Men's Basketball will visit Waynesburg for a Wednesday evening tilt at 5 p.m.
