MEADVILLE, Pa. -- Playoffs?! Playoffs?!

Yes, Jim Mora, Allegheny College men's basketball is talkin' playoffs.

The Gators have surged through the 2022-23 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship Tournament. No. 2-seeded Allegheny defeated seventh-seeded Saint Vincent College, 79-74, in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, before lighting up No. 6 Thiel College in the semifinals on Thursday, 106-66.

Following Chatham University's semifinal win over top-seeded Washington and Jefferson College on the other half of the bracket, the Gators have earned the right to hold the PAC championship game on their home court inside the David V. Wise Center. Allegheny and fourth-seeded Chatham will tip off on Saturday, February 25, at 7:30 p.m.

Admission is free, and all Allegheny supporters are encouraged to wear their favorite gold gear. For those unable to attend, streaming video will be provided by the PAC Sports Network, and fans can follow along with live stats.

It has been 25 years since the men's basketball team last cut down the net and hoisted a conference trophy. The 2002-03 squad came close, as the Gators defeated Earlham College and Wittenberg University before falling to the College of Wooster in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) title game. The 1998-98 team also reached the NCAC finals and, despite a loss to Wooster in the championship, still earned an at-large berth into the NCAA tournament.

In 1997-98, the Allegheny won its most recent conference championship, the last of six as members of the NCAC. The Gators also won five crowns between 1970 and 1981 during their first tenure in the PAC, but those came before the PAC implemented a postseason tournament.

The friendly confines of the James H. Mullen, Jr. Arena have been favorable for Allegheny this winter. The Gators are 13-1 when playing in front of their home crowd, which included a packed house at the semifinal blowout against the Tomcats last night. Although the Blue and Gold split their two-game series with Chatham during the regular season, the team's current five-game win streak began on February 8, when the Gators beat the Cougars at home by a 97-74 final score.

Saturday's winner will receive the PAC's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship. Selections will be announced on Sunday, February 27, with first- and second-round games being held on Friday, March 3, and Saturday, March 4.