Washington & Jefferson (5-2, 0-0) vs. Chatham (3-2, 0-0) 

When: Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Where: Washington, Pa.
Court: Salvitti Family Gymnasium
Tipoff: 5:30 p.m.

Gameday Coverage - Follow Live: Live Video | Live Stats
For more information view the FULL .PDF VERSION

THE SERIES: Washington & Jefferson and Chatham meet for the 24th time in men's basketball, continuing a series that has been tightly contested since the Cougars joined the PAC in 2015-16. Chatham won the inaugural meeting between the programs and enters tonight holding a narrow 12–11 edge in the all-time series. The teams squared off three times last season. Chatham earned a pair of two-point victories during the regular season, then claimed an 81–69 win in the PAC Championship Game at the Athletics & Fitness Center. W&J's most recent victory over the Cougars came in 2024, an 82–70 decision inside Salvitti Family Gymnasium. That win stands as the Presidents' lone victory in the last six meetings between the programs
 
CARTE BLANCHE: Junior point guard Matthew Carte (Ravenswood, W.Va./Ravenswood) has shown off some style this season and put together an impressive pair of games in the Great Lakes Invitational. Against Case Western Reserve, Carte drained three shots from beyond the arc and scored 14 points. The following evening, Carte played a big role in the Presidents' upset victory over #21 Maryville. He scored nine of his 17 points in the second half, including a three-pointer to give W&J a one-point lead with 30 seconds left.
 
WHAT HAPPENED LAST SEASON?: W&J and Chatham met three times last season, with Chatham winning each of the matchups.
 
The first matchup was an overtime thriller last November in Washington. A back-and-forth game resulted in the teams tied at 65 at the end of regulation. With W&J leading by two with 36 seconds left in overtime, Chatham guard Diaun Pinkett drained a three to give the Cougars the lead that would hold.
 
The next matchup came in a high-scoring bout in Pittsburgh. Both teams juggled leads throughout the game. With 19 seconds left, W&J forward Cameron Rowell (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) tied the game at 90. Chatham went down and was able to get a shot up as time expired, but it rattled out. However, the Presidents were controversially called for basket interference, and the Cougars were awarded the basket, and the win.
 
The third matchup came in the PAC Championship at Chatham's Athletics & Fitness Center. The Cougars opened up a 17-point lead with nine minutes remaining in the first half. From there, Chatham never let its lead drop to fewer than seven points, and the Cougars won the PAC title.
 
PAC-TION: The Presidents are one of five PAC teams to hold a winning record through the pre-conference slate. In the north division, Hiram and Westminster have opened up at 3-2. In the south, Franciscan stands at 4-1, W&J is at 5-2, and Chatham is 3-2.
 
I'LL TAKE THAT: The Presidents have kept their identity of swarming full-court defense intact. W&J has forced 21.57 turnovers per game, ranking 17th in Division III. W&J has been led defensively by the reigning PAC Defensive Player of the Year, Nathan Plotner (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg South). The junior big man has blocked 26 shots which ranks second in the nation. Plotner has also nabbed 15 steals, leading the team.
 
THEY'RE FREE: One area in which W&J has struggled to begin the season is free throw shooting. The Presidents have shot at a 64.8% clip from the stripe, ranking in the bottom quartile of Division III.
 
STARTING OFF RIGHT: W&J has won each of its last five PAC openers, beginning with a win over Chatham in the 2020-21 season.
 
IMPRESSIVE RESUME: The Presidents have gone 5-2 in nonconference action to start the season. This included impressive wins over Arcadia, Case Western Reserve, and Maryville, who was ranked 21st in the nation by D3hoops.com at the time of the meeting. The Maryville win gave W&J a win over a ranked opponent for the second consecutive season. The Presidents' losses came at the hands of two solid opponents in Lancaster Bible and Carnegie Mellon.
 
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: W&J holds a 41-13 record at home over the last five seasons. This included going 11-2 at Salvitti Family Gymnasium last season.
 
SHARING THE LOAD: The Presidents have had five different leading scorers in their seven games this season. Nathan Plotner (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg South) has led the team in scoring three times, making him the only player to have led the team in scoring multiple times this season. The others to be the game leader for W&J are Michael Plasko (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette), Quinton Burlenski (Bridgeport, Ohio/Central Catholic), Alex Acosta (Acworth, Ga./North Cobb), and Matthew Carte (Ravenswood, W.Va./Ravenswood).
 
W&J VS. THE PAC:
Team                                                Record (Pct.)
Allegheny                                       59-46 (.621)
Bethany                                          108-88 (.551)
Chatham                                        11-12 (.478)
Franciscan                                    11-3 (.786)
Geneva                                           43-47 (.478)
Grove City                                      66-72 (.478)
Hiram                                               23-24 (.489)
Saint Vincent                                33-43 (.434)
Thiel                                                  97-47 (.674)
Waynesburg                                  67-58 (.536)
Westminster                                 41-62 (.398)
Total                                                 559-502 (.527)