OBERLIN, Ohio -- Nicholas Campalong's (Sewickley, Pa./Ambridge) double-double of a season-high 15 points and 10 rebounds were not enough for Washington & Jefferson men's basketball to overcome Houghton, 78-64, at the Oberlin College Holiday Classic. 

Following today's game, which was W&J's final nonconference bout of the 2018-19 season, the Presidents own a 5-8 overall record. 

After a rough first half for the Red & Black, the Presidents began to pick up their play in the second half. Trailing 41-29 after the first 20 minutes, W&J rallied and cut the deficit to seven points, 52-45, with 11:36 left in the game. 

A 9-0 run about five minutes later brought W&J to within five, 61-56, the closest the score had been since early in the first stanza. Back-to-back three-pointers by Adam Alexander (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) sparked the run.  

Five points down would be the closest that the Presidents would get, however, as a mini-run by the Highlanders stretched their advantage back to double-digits, where it stayed for the remainder of the contest. 

In addition to his double-double, Campalong also shined on the defensive end of the court with game-highs of five steals and three blocks. 

Joining Campalong with double-digit points was Mitch DeZort (Tarentum, Pa./Highlands) and Alexander. DeZort ended the game with a season-high 11 points and three rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench. Alexander tallied a career-best 10 points and three made three-pointers. 

Zach Queen (Jeannette, Pa./Hempfield Area) paced the team in playing time with 32 minutes of action. He tallied seven points, a career-high tying six rebounds and three assists. 

The Presidents return to PAC action this week, kicking off the 2019 slate with a 7:30 p.m. road game against Thiel on Thursday, Jan. 3.