Huntingdon, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men's basketball team returned to action after a two-week break to pick up a 74-59 road win over the Juniata Eagles on Tuesday Night.

The Panthers stiffened up on defense to hold the Eagles to 25% shooting and just 19 points in the first half. Pitt-Bradford jumped ahead early, scoring the first six points of the game. Nathan Schneider started the game with a steal and a fast break layup and then was followed by a pair of layups from Gavyn Mason. The hosts were able to get on the scoreboard but the Panthers answered with 10 straight points to open up an early 14-point lead. Schneider started the rally with a three and then fed Jeremy Rodriguez for a layup. Caden Beldin made a jumper after a Juniata turnover and then Rodriguez finished the rally with a three of his own. 

Following a Juniata timeout, the eagles made a three to end the run, but Pitt-Bradford answered with two Phillip Wallace layups and a jumper from Gus Napoleon to go ahead 22-5. Schneider converted an old-fashioned three-point play to answer a Juniata three before the hosts made a push to get back into the game, scoring 11 in a row to cut the lead to six. The Panthers were able to regain control in the final 1:38 of the half, using unanswered layups from Schneider and Mason with an Alex Rodriguez midrange jumper to send the game to the half leading 31-19. 

The Eagles started the second half with a three, but the Panthers were able to maintain a double-digit advantage through a pair of Schneider free throws and a Wallace layup. The hosts were able to battle back, getting the Panther lead down to 5 points with 13:47 left, but a three-point play from Caden Beldin and a pair of Rodriguez free throws pushed the lead back to 10. 

For the remainder of the half, the Panthers were able to limit the Eagles' runs to 5 or 6 points before quickly answering them and restoring their double-digit lead. The Panthers made 13 of 16 free throws down the stretch to push the lead to 16. Schneider put a final punctuation mark on the game in its final minute, stealing the ball at midcourt and racing to the basket for a fast break two-handed slam dunk.

Nathan Schneider led all scorers with 25 points. He made 7-10 from the field, 1-2 from three, and 10-12 from the line. He also had 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Freshman guard Jeremy Rodriguez set a career-high with 17 points. He made 4-5 from the field, 2-3 from beyond the arc, and 7-9 from the charity stripe. He added 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals. Phillip Wallace reached double-figures with 10 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Gavyn Mason led the team with 9 rebounds, while B.J. Williams blocked three shots.

The Panthers move to 3-4 with the road victory over Juniata. They will return to action this Friday when they host Keuka in a doubleheader. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.