Alfred, N.Y. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men's basketball team secured a share of their first AMCC regular season title since 2001 on Wednesday night as they defeated Alfred State on the road. The Panthers trailed by three at the break, but dominated the second stanza, outscoring the hosts by 27 points to earn a 108-84 win.
Fresh off receiving the first regional ranking in program history, the Panthers started slow, allowing the hosts to score on their first two possessions and open up an early 7-1 lead. They quickly found their footing and responded to the opening Pioneer rally with one of their own, rolling off 15 consecutive points to jump out to a 16-7 lead. Jeremy Rodriguez started the run, spinning into the lane for a short jumper, and then Jamarion Butler made back-to-back layups. After a Xander Norris jump shot, Jesse Laster intercepted a pass in the backcourt and flew in for a powerful two-hand dunk. Nasier Starks drained a three from the wing a few possessions later to close the rally. While the initial run for Pitt-Bradford ended, they continued to add to their early lead, outscoring the hosts 6-2 over the next two minutes to extend their advantage into double digits.
Pitt-Bradford maintained their double-digit lead for the next seven minutes until Alfred State put together an 8-0 run to cut the lead to 4. Braylen Salters slowed the rally with an old-fashioned three-point play, but it could not hold off the Pioneers for long, as the hosts answered with 7 more in a row to tie the game at 44. Rodd Yarbrough and later both made layups to keep the Panthers in front, however, Laster picked up a technical foul after the basket, resulting in two made free throws and a layup, which gave Alfred State the lead. Xavion Boone found Yarbrough for a layup, and then drove to the basket for a layup of his own, but the Pioneers answered with a three and then a last-second layup to take a 55-52 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Alfred State scored three to start the second half and extend their lead to 6, however, the Panthers used their high-pressure defense to turn the Pioneers over twice and score 7 straight points to go back ahead. Keshon Kittrell led the charge, picking up a steal and 5 points in the stretch. The lead changed hands four times over the next two minutes until a Salters three-pointer started a Pitt-Bradford rally that put the Panthers in front for good. They went on a 21-3 run over a stretch of 6 minutes to retake control. four different Panthers scored in the rally, which was punctuated by two consecutive threes by Jeremy Rodriguez. It resulted in an 84-67 Pitt-Bradford lead with 10 minutes remaining in the game.
The Panther defense kept the Pioneers at bay for the remainder of the game, working to maintain their advantage over the last 10 minutes. Yarbrough added three more baskets inside, while Rodriguez converted layups for four more points. Laster showcased his athleticism with four minutes left in the game, as he pushed the Panthers over the 100-point mark for the 17th time in 20 games. He began by pinning a block against the backboard, and then after the Pioneers matched a Yarbrough layup from the charity stripe, He took a pass from Braylen Salters and threw down another powerful dunk. He made the slam through contact and then made the free throw for a three-point play. Down the stretch, the Panthers made 5-5 from the line before Samuel Brown closed the scoring with a tipped-in putback.
Pitt-Bradford had a balanced attack in the win as 5 players reached double-figures. Jeremy Rodriguez led the charge for Pitt-Bradford, making 9-14 from the field to finish with 23 points. Jesse Laster and Rodd Yarbrough each scored 18 in the game. LAster made 7-11 from the field and had 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks. Yarbrough converted 9-13 from the field and gathered a team-high 9 rebounds. Jamarion Butler was limited to 14 minutes due to foul trouble, while Bralen Salters also scored 12 points while registering 4 rebounds and 4 assists.
The victory secured a share of the first AMCC Title in 22 years, as it improved their record to 20-1 with a 13-0 record in AMCC play. They will return to KOA Area for a senior day matchup with Penn State-Behrend. A win for the Panthers over the Lions will give them the #1 seen and AMCC Tournament. The action will start at approximately 2:00 p.m. in Bradford, PA.
