WASHINGTON, Pa. – A late second half surge lifted the Washington & Jefferson College men's basketball team (13-4, 6-2) to an 85-72 Presidents' Athletic Conference win against the Allegheny Gators (6-11, 4-4).
 
Five Presidents finished the game in double figures for scoring. Junior captain Nathan Plotner (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg South) led the way for the Presidents with 18 points, four rebounds, three steals, and three blocks. Junior Matthew Carte (Ravenswood, W.Va./Ravenswood) finished the contest with 12 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Senior captain Matt Seidl (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) also made strong contributions with 13 points, six rebounds, and four steals.
 
The two teams were trading buckets to begin the contest. Allegheny tried to pull away with a six-point lead heading into the closing stages of the first half, but W&J clawed back with an 11-0 run. This ended up being the difference in the first half as the Presidents went into the locker room up by three, 38-35. W&J shot 46.67% from the field and was 77.78% from the free throw line in the opening half.
 
The Presidents picked up where they left off to start the second half. Allegheny made a small run to tie the game at 55, but the Presidents found an extra gear. The Presidents started a 9-0 run and did not look back. W&J got the lead up to 14 and a dunk by Plotner off an assist by sophomore Michael Plasko (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) sealed the win for W&J. The Presidents were consistent throughout the contest, shooting 48.57% and was 76.92% from the free throw line in the second half.
 
W&J played with a high intensity on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the Presidents outscored the Gators 29-4 on fast break chances. Defensively, the press caused 25 turnovers by the Gators. The Red & Black outscored the Gators 32-12 in points off turnovers. Additionally, the W&J bench put together strong minutes, outscoring the Allegheny bench 24-14.
 
W&J starts a quick two game road trip when they travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Chatham Cougars. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.