WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The top-seeded Washington & Jefferson women's basketball team scored a season low in points and missed all 23 attempts from three-point range in a shocking 57-40 defeat to fourth-seeded Chatham University Wednesday evening in the Presidents' Athletic Conference Tournament Semifinals. 

The loss drops the Presidents to 24-3 overall on the season. The 24 wins is tied for the most in a single season in program history. 

Meanwhile, Chatham improves to 19-7 overall. The 19 wins are a school-record for the Cougars, who advance to the PAC Championship game for the first time in program history. This is just the second ever win for Chatham in the head-to-head series. W&J entered the night winners of 46 of the previous 47 meetings. 

The Chatham zone defense flustered W&J all night. The Presidents never could get into any sort of offensive rhythm as they also committed 22 turnovers. Chatham made just 17 field goals on the night but 12 of them came from beyond the arc. 

The two teams traded baskets early on as W&J led by an 8-6 margin at the 5:27 mark of the first quarter. Sarah Berardelli (Ambridge, Pa./North Catholic) accounted for the first eight points of the game for the Presidents. Back-to-back three-point field goals by Emily Durkee helped the Cougars pull in front by a 13-8 score at the end of the first quarter. 

An early three-point field goal in the second quarter gave the Cougars an eight-point advantage at 16-8. W&J responded with eight-straight points to even the score at 16-16. Meghan Dryburgh (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) made a pair of jumpers during the run. Chatham answered right back with eight points to take a 24-16 lead with 2:16 remaining before half. Adalynn Cherry (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) and Dryburgh converted layups in the final two minutes but the Cougars took a nine-point lead into halftime at 29-20. 

The Presidents seemed poised to make a run at things early in the third quarter. Bryn Bezjak (Uniontown, Pa./Albert Gallatin) and Dryburgh converted field goal opportunities to trim the deficit to 29-25. However, W&J would get no closer as Chatham methodically added to its lead. Consecutive triples by the Cougars swelled the lead to 40-26 midway through the third quarter. The Cougars extended the lead to as many as 23 points in the fourth quarter en route to the victory. 

Dryburgh posted her 17th double-double effort of the season. The sophomore finished her stellar sophomore season with 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Dryburgh has 311 rebounds this season, which is the third highest single-season total in W&J history. 

Berardelli tallied 12 points on six-of-seven shooting from the field. Cherry added 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists. W&J did not record a bench point in the game. W&J outscored Chatham 36-10 in the paint but the three-point disparity was too much to overcome. 

The loss likely ends the careers of seniors Victoria Koeck (Sidman, Pa./Forest Hills) and Maddi Gutierrez (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette). W&J compiled a 73-19 overall record and a 53-7 mark in Presidents' Athletic Conference play. The Presidents also put together a 42-8 home record. W&J reached the PAC title game three times and earned a PAC Tournament Championship last season. Koeck, the 2021-22 PAC Defensive Player of the Year, ranks fifth all time on the program's career blocks list with 95.