Bradford, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh of Bradford men's basketball team started 2024 on the right foot as they took down Penn State-Behrend 79-64 in KOA Arena.
The Panthers fell behind after an opening possession three by the Lions but quickly responded as Gus Napoleon found Samuel Brown inside for a layup and then hit a three from the top of the key on the next trip down the floor. Over the next six minutes, the teams exchanged the lead 5 times before a Coby Farley three was followed by a Jamarion Butler three-point play put Pitt-Bradford ahead by 5.
The Lions slowly cut away at the lead until they were able to tie the game at 25 with a pair of free throws with 6:37 left in the half. Butler and Xavion Boone Roberson each made a pair of free throws which started an 18-6 run over the last six minutes of the half. Farley made a step back three to force a Lion timeout and Butler and Mo Berete made a pair of layups around a Penn State-Behrend three to give Pitt-Bradford an 8-point edge. The Panthers limited the Lions to three free throws over the last 2:30 of the first, while Trey Davis converted an and-one and Coby Farley made his third long ball of the half. This gave Pitt-Bradford a 43-31 lead at the break.
To start the second half Napoleon converted a three-point play to answer an early Penn State-Behrend three and two minutes later Trey Davis made a long ball from the top of the key to keep the Panther lead in double digits. Pitt-Bradford went cold over the following four minutes, as they were outscored 14-5 in the stretch, allowing the Lions to cut their lead all the way down to one point.
Pitt-Bradford called a timeout after a turnover gave the Lions a chance to retake the lead. The Panthers were able to force a Behrend miss, and then Butler found Jesse LAster on an alley-oop to return the momentum to Pitt-Bradford. The powerful dunk started a 10-0 run for the Panthers. Butler and Laster each assisted the other for a layup in the rally and Farley capped the run with another step back three. The Panthers maintained their lead for the next few minutes, answering six points from the Lions but back-to-back Panther dunks put the game away for the Panthers. Keshon Kittrell threw down a one-handed slam in the lane and then a few possessions later Laster was able to intercept a pass at the top of the key and race to the basket for another dunk. One final three-point play from Davis resulted in mass substitutions for both teams, leading to a low-scoring final three minutes of action.
Four Panthers finished the game in double figures, led by Jamarion Butler and Coby Farley, who each scored 19 points. Butler made 7-15 from the field while recording his second double-double of the season, grabbing 11 rebounds. He also added 5 assists, 2 steals and a blocked shot. Coby Farley efficiently scored 19 off the bench. He made 7-9 from the field, including 5-6 from three, and added 3 assists. Trey Davis was perfect from the field going 5-5 on he night with 2 three-pointers. He also tallied 7 assists. Jesse LAster was the final Panther to reach double-figures, finishing with 13 points.
The Victory moves the Panthers to 8-4 on the season, with a 4-1 record in AMCC Play. They are currently in a three-way tie at the top of the conference standings. They will be back in action on Saturday, as they travel to Carlow. Tipoff is slated for 4:00 p.m.
