Bradford, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men's basketball team was unable to hold off a 2nd half rally from Penn State-Altoona, falling to the lions 80-76 in their regular-season finale.
Prior to the action, the Panthers took a few moments to celebrate three graduating players. B.J. Williams, Alex Rodriguez, and Nathan Schneider were all recognized. Williams is wrapping up his only year with the program, while Rodriguez is the longest-tenured Panther, playing for Pitt-Bradford since 2019-20. Schneider has played two seasons with the Panthers, was a 1st team all-conference selection as a junior, and currently tops the AMCC scoring leaderboard.
The visitors got off to a quick start, scoring the first eight points of the game unanswered, but the Panthers were able to quickly respond after a timeout. Lennon Lindholm hit a three to get the Panthers off the mark and after a pair of defensive stops, Jeremy Rodriguez added another. The Lions slowed the Panthers' charge with a basket inside, but Gavyn Mason, B.J. Williams, and Nathan Schneider made layups on three consecutive possessions to put the Panthers in front.
The Lions were next to respond, outscoring the Panthers 11-3 over a three-minute span. Caden Beldin ended the rally with a jumper, which led to an 8-0 Panther run that culminated with another Lindholm long ball to put the Panthers ahead 23-21. Both teams exchanged baskets for the remainder of the half, but with the score tied 40-40, the Panthers scored two unanswered putback layups to take a 44-40 lead into halftime.
The Panthers were able to build on the momentum of a strong finish to the first half by outscoring the Lions 7-2 over the first three minutes of the second. Jeremy Rodriguez made back-to-back driving layups to start the scoring and after a turnover, Lindholm made another three to push the Panther lead to 9 points. The Lions quickly went on a run of their own, cutting the lead back down to three points within three minutes. Rodriguez and Lindholm each made field goals inside to slow the charge before the Panthers were forced into a timeout with just a one-point lead and 13:30 remaining.
The Panthers were able to keep a short lead over the Lions for the next 8 minutes, but a 5-minute scoreless streak allowed the guests to turn a 5-point deficit into a 5-point lead. Schneider stopped the streak with a pair of free throws but saw his effort quickly answered on the other end. Pitt-Bradford was able to cut the lead back to one possession three times, as Caden Beldin made a three from the wing, Schneider drove to the basket for a layup, and Mason added a close-range effort in the last minute, but the Lions converted baskets after each Panther field goal to stay ahead.
Lennon Lindholm led the Panthers with 19 points on 7-11 shooting and 5-9 from three. He also had 7 rebounds. 4 other Panthers were also able to reach double figures on the night, with two recording double-doubles. Nathan Schneider scored 14 points and collected 12 rebounds, while also recording 7 assists in the game. Gavyn MAson recorded his second straight double-double finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Jeremy Rodriguez added 11 points, while Caden Beldin scored 10 off the bench.
The Panthers finish their regular season with an 11-14 record, with a 5-9 mark in AMCC play. They finished the season in 6th place and earned their first trip to the AMCC playoffs in 6 years. They will head to Buffalo for a third matchup with #3 Hilbert on Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. In two previous games, The Panthers lost to the Hawks on a pair of last-second shots.
