WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College men's basketball team hit a first-half lull and could not keep up with a hot-shooting second half start by Grove City as the Wolverines topped the Presidents 68-57 in the Salvitti Family Gymnasium on Wednesday evening.
 
After shooting 0-of-four from three in the first half, Grove City converted on each of the its first five three pointers and eight-of-10 shots overall in the first 7:09 of second half. The Wolverines extended a 26-21 halftime lead to 48-37 advantage with 12:24 left in regulation following the three-point barrage.
 
The Presidents chipped away at the Wolverine lead with a quick seven-point burst in less than two minutes of game time that was punctuated with a Zach Queen (Jeannette, Pa./Hempfield Area) three to pull the Red and Black within six, 55-49, with eight minutes left in regulation.
 
Grove City's James Wells reeled off five-straight points to push the Wolverine advantage back to double-digits.
 
Alexander Skowron's (Sewickley, Pa./Quaker Valley) three-point play with 2:57 remaining brought the Presidents within seven at 62-55, but the Presidents shot one-of four from the field the rest of the way.
 
Cameron Seemann (Loveland, Ohio/Archbishop Moeller) helped the Presidents establish an 8-4 advantage scoring five points in the game's first five minutes with a pair of free throws and a three-pointer.
 
Grove City scored the next two baskets to tie the game at eight, but the Presidents responded with an 11-2 spurt that included five-straight points from AJ Blue (Kensington, Md./Sidwell Friends (D.C.)), four from Skowron and two from Adam Alexander (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) to put the Presidents ahead 19-10 with 9:03 remaining in the first half.
 
The President offense went cold over the final nine minutes of the half as Grove City outscored W&J 16-2 the rest of the way with W&J shooting 0-of 16 from the field and going nearly eight minutes without scoring a point.

Blue paced the Presidents with 12 points after connecting on five-of-nine shots and a pair of threes.
 
Queen and Skowron had nine points apiece while Seemann chipped in eight.
 
W&J owned a plus-five turnover margin (17-12) and totaled 20 points off turnovers compared to 10 for Grove City.

The Presidents host Saint Vincent on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.