Houghton, N.Y. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men's basketball team was able to pull out a win after losing a 19-point lead, defeating the Houghton Highlanders on the road 70-66.
The Panthers Dominated early, as they outscored the hosts 17-4 over the first 6:17 of play. Gus Napoleon scored 9 points in the stretch, and the run was punctuated as Jesse Laster threw down a fast break dunk. The Highlanders were able to chip away at the early Panther advantage, cutting the lead down to 4 points, but the Panthers finished the first half as strong as they started it, going on a 15-4 run over the final four minutes of the half. Laster scored 7 straight points in the rally, and Jamarion Butler and Trey Davis each made threes in the final 30 seconds.
Pitt-Bradford added to their lead after the break as they were able to extend their lead to 19 points with 15 minutes remaining after another Laster slam dunk. The Panthers seemed to let down their guard after the dunk, as Houghton scored fifteen of the next eighteen points to trim the lead down to 7 points. They continued their push after a time-out, eventually taking the lead at 60-59 and even going ahead by 3 points with 3 minutes to go. The comeback seemed to take its toll on the hosts over the final minutes however, and Butler took over for the Panthers, scoring 7 straight points for Pitt-Bradford, restoring their lead. He converted on a three-point play with 1:22 remaining to put the Panthers ahead for good. After a defensive stop, Laster was able to close the game with a pair of free throws in the final seconds.
Jamarion Butler led the Panthers with 22 points and 9 rebounds. Laster added 17 on 6-9 from the field, while Gus Napoleon scored 12 on 5-7 shooting.
The Panthers move to 1-0 on the season after the win. They will be in Cleveland, Ohio this weekend as they play in the Bill Sudek Tournament, hosted by Case Western Reserve. Their first home game of the season is scheduled for Saturday, November 18th, as they will take on Hiram in KOA Arena at 3:00 p.m.
