Washington & Jefferson (9-3, 2-1) vs. Chatham (6-6, 3-0) 

When: Saturday, January 10, 2026
Where: Washington, Pa.
Court: Salvitti Family Gymnasium
Tipoff: 3:00 p.m.

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THE SERIES: Washington & Jefferson and Geneva meet for the 91st time between the school's men's basketball programs, with the Golden Tornadoes holding a 47-43 advantage in the series. The Presidents won the first matchup between the schools, a 35-19 game in 1915. The schools have consistently faced each other through the decades, with a gap coming through the 1990s and early 2000s. The schools began to face off again in the 2007-08 season, Geneva's first year back in the PAC. Geneva holds a 24-15 lead over W&J in the time since joining Division III and the PAC. However, The Presidents have won five out of the last seven meetings, including sweeping the season series last season.
 
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 tied for fourth in the nation with 41 blocks and is tied for 61st with 23 steals. The big man's block total is 21 blocks higher than the second-highest total in the PAC. Plotner leads the Presidents in scoring with an average of 16.2 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 Geneva met twice on the hardwood last season with the Presidents claiming a season-sweep of the Golden Tornadoes.
 
The first matchup came in December of 2024 in Washington. W&J rolled to an 85-69 behind double-digit scoring from the impressive Class of 2028 trio of Michael Plasko (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette), Quinton Burlenski (Bridgeport, Ohio/Central Catholic), and Cameron Rowell (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional). The Presidents jumped out to an 18-9 in the first ten minutes and controlled the remainder of the game.
 
The second matchup came in Beaver Falls last February. Geneva kept the game close throughout, and the teams' traded leads throughout the first half. The Presidents closed out the half with three consecutive scores to take a five-point advantage into the break. W&J quickly expanded its lead to 11 early in the half, and, despite Geneva bringing it to within a single score multiple times, led the rest of the way, finishing with an 89-77 victory.
 
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 63.2% clip from the stripe, ranking in the bottom quartile of Division III and last in the PAC.
 
IMPRESSIVE RESUME: The Presidents have gotten off to an impressive 9-3 start to the season. This includes quality non-conference wins over Case Western Reserve, Arcadia, Capital, and then-21st-ranked Maryville. The Presidents stand at 2-1 in PAC play, opening league play with a decisive 86-71 win over defending-PAC-champion Chatham. The following PAC bout came against Franciscan, who was able to take W&J into overtime. The Presidents won the extra period and finished off an 86-82 win. The most recent conference game came on Wednesday, when the Presidents were upset 87-83 by Bethany.
 
ACOSTA THE ANCHOR: Senior forward Alex Acosta (Acworth, Ga./North Cobb) has returned to dominance this season for the Presidents after a junior season that was marked with injuries. The big man averages 12.1 points per game and scored a season-high 30 points at Franciscan on December 6.
 
I'LL TAKE THAT: The Presidents have kept their identity of swarming full-court defense intact. W&J has forced 20.5 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 27 shots which ranks second in the nation. Plotner has also nabbed 16 steals, leading the team.
 
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                              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                                561-503 (.527)
 
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: (16.2) Plotner (6th)
- Rebounds Per Game: (7.1) Acosta (t-6th), (7.1) Plotner (t-6th)
- Field Goal Percentage: (.604) Plotner (1st)
- Blocks: (41) Plotner (1st)
- Blocks Per Game: (3.4) Plotner (1st)
- Steals Per Game: (2.8) Rowell (3rd), (2.7) Plotner (4th), (1.8) Seidl (t-8th), (1.8) Burlenski (t-8th)
- Minutes Per Game: (33.6) Seidl (3rd), (31.7) Plotner (9th)