MEADVILLE, Pa. -- Allegheny College's remarkable run in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship Tournament came to a heartbreaking conclusion on Saturday night.

Fourth-seeded Chatham University held on to win the 2022-23 PAC championship game in a nail-biter, 76-73, over the second-seeded Gators in front of a sold-out crowd at James H. Mullen, Jr. Arena inside the David V. Wise Center.

Although the run to the 12th conference championship in program history is over, the season may not be. Selections for the 2022-23 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Championship will be announced on Monday, February 27.

Chatham (17-11), on the other hand, receives the PAC's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars beat No. 5 Westminster College, 85-76, in the quarterfinals and No. 1 Washington and Jefferson College, 87-61, in the semis, prior to Saturday's title game.

The title game came down to the wire. Preston Turk (New Castle, Pa./Neshannock) hit the last of his game-high four 3-pointers with under 30 seconds to play, cutting the Chatham lead down to one, 74-73. Forced to foul, the Gators sent Simon Boyer to the line, and while he converted both attempts, it remained a one-possession difference.

Caden Hinckley (Boise, Idaho/Mt. Lebanon (Pa.)) missed a potential game-tying shot inside the last 20 seconds, but it wasn't Allegheny's last chance to force overtime. The Cougars were fouled and came up empty both freebees. Frantically moving up the floor after the second missed free throw, Luke Barker (New Castle, Pa./Struthers (Ohio)) was short on a corner trey with eight seconds left on the clock. However, the ball went out of bounds of a Chatham player, giving the Gators one last chance for a game-tying shot.

On the last play of the game, Turk inbounded the ball to Hinckley in front of the Allegheny bench. The big man then pitched the ball back to Turk and set a quick screen, but the shot was well-contested and off the mark.

Inside the Box Score

• Both teams made 28 field goals, but the Cougars had a better field-goal percentage, 45.9%-to-41.8%.
• Allegheny made more 3-pointers, 11-to-9, but Chatham was more efficient with a 50.0% clip.
• Four Gators scored in double figures, led by Turk, who was 8-of-17 for a game-high 21 points.
• Hinckley posted a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double.
• Turk and Hinckley also dished out a team-high four assists.
• Barker and Andre Wilder (Beaver Falls, Pa./Lincoln Park) added 14 and 10 points, respectively.
• Ryan Lang (Sarver, Pa/Knoch) had nine points, along with three rebounds and three assists.
• Nick Bomar led all Cougars with 16 points after shooting 6-for-7 from the field.

News and Notes

• Allegheny suffered just its second loss on its home court this season.
• Chatham moved one game ahead of the Gators in the all-time series, 3-2.
• Hinckley and Wilder represented Allegheny on the PAC All-Tournament Team.
• Hinckley's double-double is his 18th of the season, which leads all PAC players.
• Hinckley added another milestone to his resume as the senior forward became the first Gator in program history to surpass 300 rebounds in a season.
• Turk set a new single-game career-high with 21 points.

Up Next
Although Allegheny did not earn an auto bid for the NCAA Championship Tournament, the season is not over just yet. Selections for the 2022-23 ECAC Division III Championship will be announced on Monday, February 27.