Erie, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men's basketball team continued their unblemished start to conference play on Saturday, as they went on the road to defeat Penn State-Behrend 85-81 and move to 5-0 in conference play.
The Panther offense struggled to find its range early, and the hosts scored the first four points of the contest. After 2 minutes of play, Jamarion Butler put Pitt-Bradford on the board, picking up a steal and converting it into a fast break layup. He answered a Lion basket a possession later with a mid-range jump shot and then following a timeout, Jeremy Rodriguez gave the Panthers their first lead with a three on an assist from Xander Norris. The hosts responded with a long ball of their own, but Butler quickly tied the game with another jumper and Coby Farley added another three to give the Panthers a 12-9 lead.
Penn State-Behrend slowly built a lead following a timeout, but Rodriguez slowed their charge and scored 5 points in two minutes to tie the game at 17. The hosts scored the next 6 points to retake the lead, but the Panthers kept the deficit within two possessions for the remainder of the half. After six minutes of the Penn State-Behrend lead fluctuating between two and 5 points, The Panthers finally went back in front when Butler followed a Norris jump shot with a driving layup with 3 minutes on the clock. The Lions went back in front with a 5-2 run, but Norris made a three in the final minute to send the game to the break tied at 39.
Pitt-Bradford fell behind again to start the second half, as the Lions scored the first four points of the period. The Panthers quickly battled back and retook a one-point lead on a Rodriguez three-point play. The advantage did not last long, and Penn State-Behrend scored the next five points to restore the 4-point margin. The Panthers kept the game close through two Butler field goals and a Farley long ball and then used a three-point play from Xavion Boone to go back in front.
The Lions used another 5-point run to restore their advantage, but Braylen Salters kept the Panthers close with a three and a free throw. The hosts remained in front until Keshon Kittrell converted a three-point play to tie the game at 63 with 8 minutes remaining. The teams exchanged the lead six times over the next few minutes, setting up an exciting finish with the score tied at 72.
With 4:27 remaining, Rodriguez scored the next two baskets for the Panthers, giving them the lead for good. After a Lion layup, Jesse Laster and Butler combined to make 6 straight free throws, giving Pitt-Bradford their largest lead of the game at 7 points with under a minute to go. The Panthers missed 3 of the next 4 from the line, allowing the hosts to cut the lead to two with 10 seconds to go, but Laster made his final two and Kittrell picked up a steal on the final possession to secure the victory.
Jamarion Butler led the Panthers with 26 points in the win. He also registered his 4th double-double of the season, as he collected 11 rebounds. Jeremy Rodriguez provided the Panthers with a spark off the bench, scoring 18 points on 7-8 shooting, including 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. Jesse Laster, Xander Norris, and Coby Farley all added 8 points.
The Panthers move to 12-1 on the season with the victory and 5-0 in AMCC play. They will return home for a midweek matchup against Alfred State on Wednesday. Tipoff is slated for 7:00 p.m.
