WASHINGTON, Pa. – Chatham Women's Basketball (18-9, 10-6 PAC) had their PAC title hopes dashed by #2 Washington and Jefferson (21-6, 14-2), which took the PAC Semifinal matchup 58-42.
 
Katie Kovalchick led the Presidents in scoring with 15 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Riley Derubbo netted 14 points, Marina Grado had 13, and Stellanie Loutsion contributed 12 points and 12 rebounds for hosts W&J.
 
The Cougars were led by Senior Madison Nereu, who poured in a game-high 19 points with 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Senior Alyssa Laukus netted 10 points and pulled down 8 boards with 2 steals and a block for Chatham.
 
The Cougars led 7-5 in the first quarter after Emily Venick knocked down a three-point basket just over four minutes in. The Presidents would then go on a 7-0 run before Nereu scored 4 points to make the score 12-11. W&J caught fire after that, taking a 22-13 advantage. Chatham responded with a 9-0 run with 6 Nereu points and a Hannah Chenault triple to even the score, but a Presidents basket just prior to halftime gave them a two-point lead at the intermission.
 
Maria Barela tied the game at 24, but that's when W&J's offense started clicking. A couple of three-pointers helped the Presidents go up 34-24. Hannah Stephanites' triple brought the Cougars back within three, but W&J went on a 6-1 scoring run to end the quarter. In the fourth, Laukus' layup made the score 43-34 in favor of the Presidents, but W&J continued to score, using a 9-2 spree to all but seal the game. Laukus made another layup, but with the score 54-40 and just over two minutes remaining, Chatham could not make the comeback it would need to keep the season alive.
 
The Cougars' 28.3 percent shooting percentage (15-53) was its second lowest of the season. The Presidents made 35.7 percent of their field goals (20-56) and out-rebounded Chatham 46-31. The loss marks the first time in four seasons that the Cougars will not participate in the PAC Championship game, but they continued a four-year streak of reaching the semifinals and an eight-year streak of qualifying for the tournament.