WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Cameron Seemann (Loveland, Ohio/Archbishop Moeller) poured in a game-high 22 points and Kyran Mitchell (Reading, Pa./Berks Catholic) posted his first collegiate double-double to rally the Washington & Jefferson College men's basketball team past visiting Chatham in a 65-59 Presidents win Saturday afternoon at Salvitti Family Gymnasium.

The season-opening win puts W&J at 1-0 overall and in the Presidents' Athletic Conference. The loss evens Chatham's record to 1-1 overall and in the league. 

The Presidents took a 28-27 lead into the halftime break but was forced to rally after the Cougars scored 13 consecutive points to open the second half. The lengthy run gave Chatham a 40-28 advantage with 15:45 to play. Behind four consecutive points by Seemann, W&J used a 9-4 spurt to cut the deficit to 44-39 with 11:28 showing on the clock. 

After a successful jumper by Brandon Bennett bolstered Chatham's lead to eight (48-40) at the 9:56 mark, W&J tallied 11 straight points to take the lead for good. Mitchell scored back-to-back baskets to spark the run before AJ Blue (Kensington, Md./Sidwell Friends (D.C.)) connected on a three-pointer to close the deficit to one with 6:59 to play. Back-to-back buckets from Okikiola Agbale (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler) and Blue gave the Presidents a 51-48 edge at the 5:13 mark. 

W&J would maintain the lead the rest of the way. The lead swelled to 61-52 when Mitchell converted an old fashioned three-point play with 1:50 left. A three-pointer by Cintron made it a one possession game at 62-59 with 30 seconds to play. However, W&J did what it needed to do down the stretch to finish off the victory. 

The Presidents led for most of the first half, as they used an early 9-0 run to take a 16-9 advantage with nine minutes remaining in the half. Chatham ended its four-minute scoring drought with a Marcos Cintron three, but W&J responded with four-straight points from Nicholas Campalong (Sewickley, Pa./Ambridge) and Livingston to push the President lead to eight (20-12).  
 
Over the final 5:35 of the first half, Chatham outscored the Presidents 15-8. The spurt included nine-straight points for the Cougars to hand the visitors a 25-24 lead with 1:27 left in the half. The teams traded leads over the final 90 seconds with Livingston's layup giving W&J a 28-27 edge. 

Mitchell finished with 12 points and a career-high 10 rebounds in his double-double effort. Seemann was a rebound shy of posting his own double-double, finishing with 22 points and nine boards. Jake Livingston (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) finished with seven points in his debut with the Red and Black. Campalong finished with a team-high four assists for W&J. 

Cintron was one of three scorers to finish in double figures for the Cougars, as the sophomore finished with a team-best 16 points. 

Statistically speaking, the teams were very competitive with one another. However, the Presidents held significant advantages in points at the free throw line (13-0) and bench points (13-5). 
 
W&J returns to action Wednesday evening when they host Geneva. Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Salvitti Family Gymnasium.