GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Thiel College men's basketball team was defeated, 73-81, by the Washington & Jefferson Presidents in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) game Saturday afternoon.
 
The Tomcats started with an early 6-0 lead, as the Presidents did not get on the board until 2:46 into the game. The two teams remained close as neither team led by more than seven until 2:47 remaining in the first half. The score was tied five separate times in the first half, but the Presidents held a 41-35 edge at halftime.
 
The Presidents led by at least five for most of the half until less than eight minutes remaining, when the Tomcats drew within two. That was as close as the Tomcats got in the second half as the Presidents maintained their lead through the end of the game with a final score of 81-73.
 
Ahmad Tejumola (Waldorf, Md./Saint Charles) led the game with 21 points, 17 rebounds, and six assists. It was his ninth double-double of the season and his third with at least 15 points and 15 rebounds. Tejumola also chipped in two blocks and three steals.
 
Marlon Ellerbee (Temple Hills, Md./Oxon Hill) and Gudner Jean-Francois (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Boyd H. Anderson) each tallied double-digit points with 12 and 11, respectively. Beni Lavodrama (Washington, D.C./Phelps ACE) scored nine points, grabbed six boards, and recorded a block and two steals. Rayshod Hooper (Baltimore, Md./St. Frances Academy) notched eight points with four rebounds.
 
For the Presidents, Nick Gearhart and Kyran Mitchell each scored 16 points with three rebounds. J.R. Mazza scored 14 points.
 
The Tomcats' next game will be on the road against Bethany on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.