The Wolverines (9-16, 5-7 PAC), who snapped a two-game losing streak to W&J, assumed an 11-5 lead in the first six minutes behind seven points from Gerber.
The Presidents took their first lead at the 8:56 mark when junior forward Matt Vorndran (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) scored on a lay-up, but a 24-7 run over the last eight minutes gave GCC a 40-26 halftime advantage. The Wolverines shot 63 percent (17-of-27) in the first 20 minutes.
Washington & Jefferson (10-15, 8-4 PAC) was able to narrow the gap to 42-30 early in the second half; however, a 13-2 Wolverine spurt put the hosts in command for good. Joe Capotosta scored five points during the run and the Presidents could not get closer than 17 points the rest of the way.
Gerber made 8-of-15 shots overall, while Capotosta added 16 points. He drained 3-of-4 attempts beyond the three-point arc. Chuck Cotherman rounded out the double-figure scorers with 12. The Wolverines finished with a 33-24 advantage on the glass.
Junior guards Jon Koch (New Kensington, Pa./Plum) was the only President in double figures with 13 on just 3-of-12 shooting. Junior guard Brandon Studer (Johnstown, Pa./Conemaugh Valley) and sophomore reserve center Tony Lewis (Mayfield Heights, Ohio/Orange) both netted eight points.
Washington & Jefferson shot 46 percent (22-of-48) overall, but turned the ball over 19 times.
The Presidents received the No. 2 seed for the PAC Tournament and will host seventh-seeded Thiel on Tuesday evening at 7:00 pm. If W&J wins the quarterfinal contest, the Presidents would host Westminster, Waynesburg or Grove City on Thursday at 7:00 pm. The tournament championship game will be held at the highest remaining seed’s site on Saturday evening at 7:30 pm.