Bradford, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men's basketball team returns to KOA Arena on Saturday, looking to build off of a midweek win at Alfred State by picking up a crucial victory over Pitt-Greensburg.
The Panthers are currently 8-8 on the season and are 2-3 in AMCC play. The Panthers used a hot shooting start to take a 53-38 halftime lead at Alfred State on Wednesday. They shot 71.4% from the field, including 7-8 from beyond the arc and 6-6 from the line. The hosts made a comeback push after the break, whittling the lead to as little as three points before the Panthers were able to close things out with 6 straight late free throws from B.J. Williams. Nathan Schneider led the Panthers with 25 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks. Four other Panthers reached double figures, as Jeremy Rodriguez and Caden Beldin each scored 14 and Phillip Wallace and Williams added 12 a piece.
For the season, Schneider has led the Panthers, scoring 23.6 points per game and grabbing 9.0 rebounds per game. Both of those lead the AMCC. Phillip Wallace has added some important production from the post, scoring 14.2 points per game. Freshman Jeremy Rodriguez has also made a big impact, scoring 10.3 points per game. Rodriguez is currently the AMCC's most efficient three-point shooter, making 42.9% of his shots from beyond the arc.
The Pitt-Greensburg Bobcats are 6-10 on the season and are currently tied with the Panthers at 2-3 in AMCC play. They lost a heartbreaker at LaRoche in their midweek matchup, as after a turnover with five seconds to go, the hosts were able to score at the buzzer to win 71-69. Octavius Hardy led the Bobcats with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Reggie Priah and JoJo France both reached double figures, scoring 13 and 11 points respectively.
France leads the Bobcat's attack, scoring 21.4 points per game, the second-highest average in the league. He leads the conference in three-pointers made and attempted per game, making 3.0 per contest at a rate of 35%. Priah is the only other Panther to average double figures, as he scores 14.1 per game. He also shares the team lead in rebounds, grabbing 5.4 per game.
Tipoff for the contest is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in KOA Arena. Fans are encouraged to join the student section in the game's theme, as they will be wearing their favorite sports jersey attire. Additionally, the diamond steppers will be performing at halftime. Live video and statistic links for the game can be found on the Pitt-Bradford Athletics website, as well as the department's social media streams.
