Bradford, PA. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford hosted Mount Aloysius in the 2nd game of their three-date homestand Saturday, falling to the Mounties in the final seconds 85-84.
The Panthers jumped out to an early lead as they scored the first five points of the game. Xavion Boone Roberson broke the ice, driving to the basket for a layup through contact and then hitting the free throw to complete the three-point play. Samuel Brown stole the ball on the next possession and then Jamarion Butler made a layup on the other end. Gus Napoleon answered a Mount Aloysius three with one of his own and then assisted a Butler on a jump shot on the next time down the floor. After a pair of Butler free throws put Pitt-Bradford up 9, the Mounties went on a 6-2 run, but Coby Farley hit a three to stop the rally. The Mounties hit a long jump shot on the next possession, but the Panthers pushed their lead to 10 with back-to-back baskets by Mo Berete and Butler.
Leading by 8 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the half, Trey Davis completed a rare 4-point play, making a three off a pass from Butler and then adding a free throw after a foul on the shot. Another Butler layup gave Pitt-Bradford a 12-point lead, but the visitors rallied, scoring 10 in a row to quickly trim the Panther advantage to just two points. The Panthers held on to their lead over the next few minutes as they were able to answer each Mount Aloysius field goal with one of their own. Following a Mountie layup cut the Panther lead to one with just over two minutes left in the half, Napoleon pumped up the home crowd, making a three off of a feed from Keshon Kittrell and then throwing down a one-handed slam after a defensive stop on the next possession. Kittrell was able to make a layup in the final seconds of the half to send the game to the break with Pitt-Bradford ahead 47-42.
Boone Roberson started the second half with a driving layup and then the Panthers maintained their 7-point edge, as Butler answered 5 points from the Mounties with a midrange jumper and a long three. Two free throws put Pitt-Bradford ahead by nine points, but the visitors rallied with 7 straight points. They eventually tied the game at 58, but the Panthers were able to stay ahead as Kittrell and Napoleon each hit three-pointers around a Mountie layup. The Napoleon three was followed by a Panther dry spell, that led to an 8-0 run that gave Mount Aloysius their first lead of the game with 10 minutes to go.
The two teams stayed within one possession over the next six minutes as Laster made two layups, and Butler intercepted a pass in the backcourt and converted it into a fast-break slam dunk. Trailing 74-73, The Panthers were hit by another drought, which allowed the Mounties to push their advantage to 6 points with 3 minutes to play. Trey Davis started the Panther's final push, hitting a three from the top of the key .a few possessions later, Coby Farley drove to the hoop for a spinning finish and then hit a three-pointer to trim the deficit to 1 point with 1:41 on the clock, setting up a thrilling finish.
The Panthers were able to get a pair of stops on the defensive end before Butler was fouled with 19 seconds remaining. He stepped up and hit two clutch free throws to give the Panthers their first lead in eleven minutes of action. The visitors had one final shot to score, and the Panthers were able to stiffen their defense and force a miss, but could not corral the defensive rebound and then were called for a foul on the play, with only 1.5 seconds left. The Mounties were able to hit both free throws and then watch Butler's 3/4 court heave miss the mark to end the game.
Jamarion Butler led the Panthers with 25 points. Gus Napoleon added 15 and led the team with 4 assists. Trey Davis scored 9 points making all five shots he attempted, 2 threes, and 3 free throws.
The loss drops the Panthers to 10-7 on the season and 6-4 in AMCC play. They will look to turn things around on Wednesday, as they will host Wells in a crucial conference matchup. The Mounties defeated the Express 99-70 in their first matchup earlier this season. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday in KOA Arena.
