WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College men's basketball team fell 69-64 to Thiel in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Tournament quarterfinal matchup.
 
The Presidents conclude their season at 7-3 while Thiel moves to 4-6.
 
W&J defeated the Tomcats 83-74 last Wednesday at the Salvitti Family Gymnasium, but the Tomcats used a strong second half effort to outlast the Presidents.
 
W&J carried a 30-25 lead into the second half, but Thiel outscored the Presidents 44-34 in the second half. The Tomcats shot 15-of-27 (55.6 percent) in the second half while holding W&J to 12-of-34 (25.3) percent from the field.
 
The Tomcats outscored W&J 11-5 over the first five-and-a-half minutes of the second half to take their first lead since 2-0.
 
W&J responded with a layup from Nicholas Campalong (Sewickley, Pa./Ambridge) and a Zach Queen (Jeannette, Pa./Hempfield Area) three to put W&J ahead 41-39 with 11 minutes remaining in regulation. Thiel's Kyiam Exum reeled of five-straight points to push the Tomcats ahead 44-41.
 
Jake Livinsgton (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) converted a pair of free throws to give the Presidents a 46-45 lead with 8:53 remaining. Thiel scored the next four points before a Cameron Seemann (Loveland, Ohio/Archbishop Moeller) three tied the score at 49 with 8:26 left.
 
After Livingston tied the game at 51 with two more free throws, Thiel went on a 10-2 run to take the lead for good. The Tomcats' largest lead was eight (61-53) with 3:49 left.
 
The Presidents clayed back with seven-straight points as Livingston made a pair of baskets and Campalong cut the deficit to 61-60 with 1:11 to play.
 
Thiel turn to Exum who scored late in the shot clock to put the Tomcats up three in the final minute. Thiel knocked down six-straight free throws in the game's final 30 seconds to seal the win.
 
W&J opened up an early 9-4 advantage in the first four minutes of the contest as Kyran Mitchell (Reading, Pa./Berks Catholic), Queen, Seemann and Livingston scored in the game's opening minutes.
 
Thiel worked to score seven of the next nine points to tie the game at 11 with 14:40 to go in the half.
 
The Presidents took their largest lead of the first half with a 9-2 run to put W&J ahead 20-13 with 10:20 left in the first. Five different players scored for the Presidents in the spurt. Thiel responded with a 9-2 stretch over five minutes to tie the game at 22 with 5:10 left in the half.
 
W&J reeled off eight-straight points late in the first half to lead 30-22 with 1:34 left in the half. AJ Blue (Kensington, Md./Sidwell Friends (D.C.)) knocked down a three and converted a layup in the stretch. Thiel's Rayshod Hooper made a three for the final baskets of the half to make it 30-25 W&J.
 
Livingston led the Presidents with 18 points and six rebounds. Seemann added 14 points and four rebounds.
 
Campalong had nine points, 11 rebounds and a pair of blocks. Mitchell had nine points, five reboudns and three assists.
 
Blue collected a career-high 11 rebounds and recorded five points, three assists and two steals.
 
Nine different players scored for the Tomcats. Exum led the way for Thiel with 12.