Bradford, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford started their regular season-ending 3-game homestand on Saturday, hosting Carlow for an AMCC matchup. The Panthers overcame a slow start to erase a double-digit deficit and take a 2nd-half lead over the Celtics, but could not stay with Carlow late, falling 64-55.
The Celtics came out firing, scoring the first 7 points of the game over 90 seconds of play before McKenna Kelly was able to get the Panthers on the board with a layup at 8:19 in the first. The Carlow run continued after the Panther basket, scoring another 6 in a row. Paige Gratto ended the second run with a driving layup and then made two threes around a pair of Carlow free throws to cut the lead down to 7. Carlow added a final long ball in the last minute, but the Panthers were able to answer with three late free throws to end the first period trailing 20-13.
The visitors once again scored the first four points of the 2nd, but Yasmine Abu-Aiadeh hit a three to quickly end the rally. Neither team was able to grab ahold of momentum in the period until the Panthers scored 4 straight to cut the lead to 5 after a pair of Raquel Sewell free throws. The Celtics answered with two straight of their own before Avery Benzel made a late jumper to even out the quarter and send the game to the break with Pitt-Bradford still trailing by seven.
Pitt-Bradford was able to restart quickly after halftime, scoring six quick unanswered points to cut the deficit down to one point. Kelly hit an early jump shot and then after a defensive stop, Abigail Goss made a left-handed layup and Gratto added a jump shot. The Celtics slowed the rally with a putback layup, but Goss and Gratto combined around a Panther timeout to give the Panthers their first lead of the contest with 5:05 remaining in the quarter. The lead did not last long as the Celtics immediately answered with a three, but Goss made her third basket of the quarter to tie the game at 35. Carlow stopped the rally with a timeout and went back in front with back-to-back baskets. After the lead grew back to 5, Abu-Aiadeh hit a three in the last minute to put the Panthers down 2 heading into the 4th.
Carlow scored first in the final period, but the Panthers were able to go back ahead as Gratto answered with a jump shot and Abu-Aiadeh made another three, giving the Panthers a 46-45 lead with 8:04 to go. Pitt-Bradford could not hold onto the momentum after the three, as they were outscored 11-1 over the next five minutes, which allowed Carlow to build a 9-point edge. The Panthers scored 5 in a row again on a Gratto three and an Amber Cross layup, but that was as close as Pitt-Bradford could get, as Carlow converted from the line late.
Paige Gratto led the Panthers with 21 points and 8 rebounds in the game. She made 4-6 from three and also tallied 2 assists and a block. Yasmine Abu-Aiadeh was the only other Panther to reach double figures, finishing with 11 points.
The Panthers fall to 8-14 on the year, with a 5-11 record in AMCC play. They will be back at home next Tuesday for a matchup against Penn State-Altoona. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
