Washington & Jefferson (12-4, 5-2) vs. Allegheny (6-10, 4-3) 

When: Wednesday, January 24, 2026
Where: Washington, Pa.
Court: Salvitti Family Gymnasium
Tipoff: 3:00 p.m.

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THE SERIES: Washington & Jefferson and Allegheny meet on the hardwood for the 107th time in the history of the series between the schools. The Presidents hold a 59-46 advantage and have won four out of the six matchups since the Gators rejoined the PAC for the 2022-23 season. W&J won the most recent matchup with a 90-68 win in Washington. Allegheny last defeated W&J in the teams' first matchup last season, an 87-81 win in Meadville. The Gators have not won in Washington since November 19, 2005.
 
THE PLOT THICKENS: Junior forward Nathan Plotner (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg South) has been one of the premier defenders in Division III this season. He currently ranks sixth in the division with 49 blocks. The big man's block total is 23 blocks higher than the second-highest total in the PAC. The junior also ranks 25th in Division III with 43 steals. Plotner leads the Presidents in scoring with an average of 15.4 points per game. He scored a career-high 33 points in the Presidents' December 19 win at La Roche. Plotner was named to the D3hoops.com Team of the Week for his play over the winter break.
 
WHAT HAPPENED LAST SEASON?: W&J and Allegheny met twice on the hardwood last season, with the teams splitting the matchups.
 
The first bout came on January 1, 2025, in Meadville. The Gators built a 16-point halftime lead, but the Presidents put together a 26-10 run to start the second half and tie the game at 60. However, the Gators regained control from there and won 87-81.
 
The second matchup came on February 12 in Washington. The Presidents opened the game strong and held a 50-38 lead at halftime. W&J put together a solid run to begin the second half, taking full control of the game. The Red & Black wound up winning 90-68, led by Matthew Carte's (Ravenswood, W.Va./Ravenswood) 20 points.
 
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 63% clip from the stripe, ranking in the bottom quartile of Division III and last in the PAC.
 
IMPRESSIVE RESUME: The Presidents put up quality non-conference wins over Case Western Reserve, Arcadia, Capital, and then-21st-ranked Maryville. The Presidents stand at 5-2 in PAC play, including wins over two of the top contenders in the South division in Chatham and Franciscan, as well as Geneva who stands tied for the lead in the North division. The two league losses for the Jaymen came against Bethany and Saint Vincent.
 
ACOSTA APPROACHING: After a junior season that included time lost to injury, senior forward Alex Acosta (Acworth, Ga./North Cobb) has been a model of consistency for the Presidents. The 2023-24 All-PAC First Team selection averages 11.8 points per game at a 58.8% clip from the field. Acosta stands at 945 career points and looks to become the 28th player in program history to score 1,000 points.
 
I'LL TAKE THAT: The Presidents have kept their identity of swarming full-court defense intact. W&J has forced 20.13 turnovers per game and holds an average turnover margin of +6.1, ranking 12th and 15th in each respective statistic.
 
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: W&J has been dominant at home during the last five seasons. The Presidents hold a 43-14 record in the Salvitti Family Gymnasium over the last five seasons.
 
W&J VS. THE PAC:
Team                              Record (Pct.)
Allegheny                        59-46 (.621)
Bethany                          108-89 (.548)
Chatham                         12-12 (.500)
Franciscan                     12-3 (.800)
Geneva                           44-47 (.484)
Grove City                      66-72 (.478)
Hiram                              24-24 (.500)
Saint Vincent                 33-44 (.429)
Thiel                                97-47 (.674)
Waynesburg                   68-58 (.540)
Westminster                   41-62 (.398)
Total                              564-504 (.528)
 
PAC LEADERS: Listed below are statistics which have Presidents ranked in the top 10 of the PAC (all statistics and rankings as of the morning of January 9, 2026):
 
- Points Per Game: (15.4) Plotner (10th)
- Rebounds Per Game: (7.2) Plotner (6th), (6.8) Acosta (7th)
- Field Goal Percentage: (.584) Plotner (1st)
- Blocks: (49) Plotner (1st), (17) Acosta (8th)
- Blocks Per Game: (3.1) Plotner (1st), (1.1) Acosta (8th)
- Steals Per Game: (2.7) Plotner (2nd), (2.5) Cameron Rowell (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) (4th), (1.8) Matt Seidl (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) (8th), (1.6) Quinton Burlenski (Bridgeport, Ohio/Central Catholic) (t-9th)
- Minutes Per Game: (33.1) Siedl (4th), (32.1) Plotner (10th)