Bradford, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford returned to action at home on Tuesday afternoon, as they hosted the Fredonia Blue Devils for a non-conference matinee. The Panthers used a strong first half to take an early lead and win the game 80-73.
The Panthers were able to get out to an early lead due to a constricting defensive effort that saw them keep Fredonia off the scoreboard for the opening 5 minutes of play. In that stretch, the Panthers scored 6 of their own as Xavion Boone Roberson and Jesse Laster each sank a pair of free throws and Samuel Brown made a layup inside. Fredonia made a three-pointer to get on the board with 14:30 remaining, but the Panthers answered with a pair of layups from Trey Davis and Jamarion Butler to push their lead to 7. Fredonia responded, outscoring the Panthers 9-2 over the next four minutes to tie the game at 12. Davis ended the rally with back-to-back layups before the Panthers opened up a 9-point edge.
Up by four points, Coby Farley was able to pick the pocket of a Fredonia guard and race down court on the break. He lobbed a pass to Jesse Laster collected it and slammed it home for a high-flying alley-oop. The Blue Devils were not able to get the ball into the frontcourt on the ensuing possession, as Farley stole the ball again, this time hitting a three in transition to put the Panthers up 21-12. The Panthers eventually pushed their lead to 15 with a minute to go in the half after 4 straight from Butler and a layup from Laster. The Panthers almost got to halftime holding the visitors under 20 points, but after a scramble for a loose ball, the Blue Devils hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to the half with Pitt-Bradford ahead 34-22.
Moving into the second half, the Panthers struggled to regain their form after the break, as Fredonia was able to cut the lead down to just 5 points after 3 minutes and ten seconds. Gus Napoleon kept the Panthers ahead, making a clutch three-pointer during the rally and then ending it with a second off of an inbound play. Following a missed jumper from Fredonia, Keshon Kittrell got the lead back to double digits with a layup in transition. Pitt-Bradford maintained the ten-point advantage until the 12-minute mark when they went on a 6-0 run to push their lead to 16.
Fredonia once again rallied, going on a 15-4 run over 3 minutes of play to cut the lead back down to 5 points. Laster ended the rally with a layup and then a few possessions later had a highlight defensive play as he made a huge block in transition, racing back to pin the layup on the backboard. Coby Farley made a pair of free throws on the other end and then after a single free throw drove to the basket for a finger roll layup to extend the lead back to 8 points. Laster had a steal on the next possession which turned into two points for the Panthers as Davis grabbed an offensive rebound and then made the putback. After another defensive stop, Davis pushed the lead back to 13, making a three from the wing on a pass from BJ Busbee.
Following a Fredonia timeout, the Blue Devils scored four straight, but Pitt-Bradford answered again. Napoleon made a pair from the line and then after a Davis blocked shot, Farley converted an old-school three-point play in transition. The Panthers then let their guard down, as Fredonia worked their way back into the game, going on an 8-0 run over the next 90 seconds. Pitt-Bradford was able to settle down however, as they made 5 of 6 free throws down the stretch to put the game away.
Gus Napoleon led a balanced effort for the Panthers that saw 5 players reach double figures. He scored 19 points, including 16 in the second half. Trey Davis was huge off the bench for the Panthers, scoring 15 points on 6-8 shooting. He made 1-1 from beyond the arc and both free throws he attempted, while also grabbing 8 rebounds. Along with creating a highlight reel, Jesse LAster filled up the stat sheet. He scored 14 points in the game and also finished with 8 rebounds,3 steals, and a pair of blocked shots. Coby Farley and Xavion Boone Roberson also hit double-digits, scoring 12 and 10 points respectively. Jamarion Butler led the Panthers with 10 rebounds, including 5 on the offensive end.
The Panthers moved to 3-2 on the season after the victory. They will be back in action on Wednesday, November 29th, when they tip off AMCC action with a road matchup against Wells. Game time is slated for 7:00 p.m.
