WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College men's basketball team fell 69-64 to Thiel in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Tournament quarterfinal matchup.
 
The Presidents conclude their season at 7-3 while Thiel moves to 4-6.
 
W&J defeated the Tomcats 83-74 last Wednesday at the Salvitti Family Gymnasium, but the Tomcats used a strong second half effort to outlast the Presidents.
 
W&J carried a 30-25 lead into the second half, but Thiel outscored the Presidents 44-34 in the second half. The Tomcats shot 15-of-27 (55.6 percent) in the second half while holding W&J to 12-of-34 (25.3) percent from the field.
 
The Tomcats outscored W&J 11-5 over the first five-and-a-half minutes of the second half to take their first lead since 2-0.
 
W&J responded with a layup from Nicholas Campalong (Sewickley, Pa./Ambridge) and a Zach Queen (Jeannette, Pa./Hempfield Area) three to put W&J ahead 41-39 with 11 minutes remaining in regulation. Thiel's Kyiam Exum reeled of five-straight points to push the Tomcats ahead 44-41.
 
Jake Livinsgton (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) converted a pair of free throws to give the Presidents a 46-45 lead with 8:53 remaining. Thiel scored the next four points before a Cameron Seemann (Loveland, Ohio/Archbishop Moeller) three tied the score at 49 with 8:26 left.
 
After Livingston tied the game at 51 with two more free throws, Thiel went on a 10-2 run to take the lead for good. The Tomcats' largest lead was eight (61-53) with 3:49 left.
 
The Presidents clayed back with seven-straight points as Livingston made a pair of baskets and Campalong cut the deficit to 61-60 with 1:11 to play.
 
Thiel turn to Exum who scored late in the shot clock to put the Tomcats up three in the final minute. Thiel knocked down six-straight free throws in the game's final 30 seconds to seal the win.
 
W&J opened up an early 9-4 advantage in the first four minutes of the contest as Kyran Mitchell (Reading, Pa./Berks Catholic), Queen, Seemann and Livingston scored in the game's opening minutes.
 
Thiel worked to score seven of the next nine points to tie the game at 11 with 14:40 to go in the half.
 
The Presidents took their largest lead of the first half with a 9-2 run to put W&J ahead 20-13 with 10:20 left in the first. Five different players scored for the Presidents in the spurt. Thiel responded with a 9-2 stretch over five minutes to tie the game at 22 with 5:10 left in the half.
 
W&J reeled off eight-straight points late in the first half to lead 30-22 with 1:34 left in the half. AJ Blue (Kensington, Md./Sidwell Friends (D.C.)) knocked down a three and converted a layup in the stretch. Thiel's Rayshod Hooper made a three for the final baskets of the half to make it 30-25 W&J.
 
Livingston led the Presidents with 18 points and six rebounds. Seemann added 14 points and four rebounds.
 
Campalong had nine points, 11 rebounds and a pair of blocks. Mitchell had nine points, five reboudns and three assists.
 
Blue collected 11 rebounds and recorded five points, three assists and two steals.
 
Nine different players scored for the Tomcats. Exum led the way for Thiel with 12.