Newark, NJ -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men's basketball team traveled to Newark, N.J., to play in the John K. Adams Kickoff Classic, hosted by Rutgers-Newark. The Panthers took on Franklin & Marshall in the opening game of the tournament, falling 75-62.
The Panthers got on the board first as Jeremy Rodriguez converted three free throws after 79 seconds of play, but the Panthers struggled to find their rhythm from the field and were limited to a Xavion Boone free throw until the 12-minute mark. In that time, the Diplomats built a 13-4 lead before Rodriguez hit a three to get the Panthers' offense started. The Diplomats continued to limit Pitt-Bradford offensively and built a 27-11 lead. With 6 minutes left in the half, the Panthers began a run, using consecutive threes by Tra Edwards and Coby Farley to trim the deficit to 10. Franklin & Marshall went on another run to extend their lead to 15. In the final minutes, Rodriguez scored 5 more points, and Tommy Walton added a driving layup, but the Diplomats took a 43-24 lead into halftime.
After the break, Boone made four straight from the line, but the Panthers were unable to maintain their momentum, as the Diplomats answered and pushed their lead to 21. Coby Farley ended the run with a three and began a Panther rally that saw Pitt-Bradford cut the deficit to 12. Kaleb Pryor banked in a pull-up jumper, and then Clarence Cobbins made two baskets inside to put the Panthers down 51-39. Once the rally ended, the Diplomats regained momentum and restored their lead with 7 straight points.
With 7 minutes remaining, the Panthers began a push to even the score. A Rodriguez steal was converted into a dunk by Cobbins, and after a Diplomat layup, Niare Poplar made a three-pointer. Despite a pair of Franklin & Marshall free throws, the rally continued as Tra Edwards made a three and Rodriguez turned a steal into an old-fashioned three-point play to trim the deficit to 10. Unfortunately, the Panthers' run ended with the free throw, and the Diplomats clamped down defensively, leading to another 7-0 run. Maki Hill made a pair of jumpers in the final minute, but the deficit was too great to overcome, and the Panthers fell 75-62.
Jeremy Rodriguez led the way for the Panthers, scoring 19 points. He also recorded a double-double as he tallied 10 steals. Tra Edwards was the only other Panther to reach double figures, finishing with 12. Clarence Cobbins scored 7 off the bench and led the team with 5 rebounds.
The loss drops the Panthers to 1-1 on the season. They will be back in action tomorrow in the consolation game of the tournament. They will take on the loser of game two, St. Elizabeth, at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow.
