Cresson, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men's basketball team pushed their winning streak to 4 games on Saturday as they defeated Mount Aloysius 85-78 in a road AMCC tilt.
Jamarion Butler got the Panthers off to a quick start in the game, taking the opening tip and hitting a three from the wing after just 12 seconds. The hosts answered with a layup inside, but their basket was followed by a strong defensive stretch for Pitt-Bradford that saw them hold the Mounties scoreless for over 3 minutes, allowing them to build an early 12-2 lead. Trey Davis came off the bench to make two more three-pointers and Butler converted a steal into a three-point play in the rally, forcing an early timeout from the Mounties. The timeout was able to stop the Panther momentum, as the hosts quickly halved the Pitt-Bradford lead. Davis was able to slow the rally, as he scored 8 points in two minutes.
Leading 25-20, the Panthers used a pair of steals and a blocked shot to score 8 unanswered points in a minute. Coby Farley made a pair of free throws and a layup in the rally, while Butler added two layups in transition. Keshon Kittrell and Gus Napoleon made threes to push the lead to 15 with 6 minutes remaining in the half. Over the final 6 minutes, the Panthers were limited to three points, a layup, and a free throw from Samuel Brown, while the Mounties scored 16 in the same stretch, cutting the lead down to 2 points at halftime.
After the break, the Panthers were able to slow the rally, staying ahead of the Mounties with layups from Butler, Jesse Laster, and Xavion Boone Roberson. The Panthers were only able to stay ahead of the hosts for five minutes as a three-pointer and a pair of free throws put Mountaloysius up three. They pushed their lead to 7 points with 11:44 remaining, before the Panthers were able to rally. Butler started a 9-0 Panther run with a layup at 11:25. Farley made a pair of free throws after a technical foul and after a Butler free throw, Kittrell tied the game at 61 with a basket inside. Napoleon finished the rally with a pair from the line, putting the Panthers in front.
The teams exchanged baskets over the next two minutes, resulting in a 65-65 tie. Butler drove to the basket to give the Panthers the lead, beginning a 6-0 Pitt-Bradford run. The Mounties battled back one final time, eventually cutting the Panther lead to 80-78 with 47 seconds to go. The hosts tried to stop the Panthers on the next possession, but Butler made a contested three-pointer late in the shot clock to put the game away for the Panthers.
Jamarion Butler led the Panthers on the day, scoring a season-high 31 points on 12-21 from the field. He also filled the entire stat sheet, recording 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 8 steals and two blocks. Two other Panthers were able to reach double figures in the game, both coming off the bench. Trey Davis had a highly efficient game, scoring 18 points. He made 7-11 from the field, including 4 of 5 from beyond the arc. Coby Farley scored 13 points, making all 6 free throws he attempted.
The Panthers move to 5-2 on the season, and 2-0 in AMCC play. They will be back in action on Wednesday, as they host Hilbert in a rematch of last season's 1st round AMCC Tournament. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in KOA Arena.
