Cresson, PA -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men's basketball team returned to action for the first time in 2026 on Wednesday, taking on AMCC foe Mount Aloysius on the road. Eight different Panthers reached double figures as the Panthers defeated the Mounties 132-86. It is the 2nd-highest regulation point total in program history, falling three short of last season's record of 135.
The hosts started the scoring with a three, but the Panthers had a quick response, scoring the next seven points of the game. Jeremy Rodriguez kicked off the rally with a jumper after an offensive rebound, and then, after a Xander Norris three, added a fast break layup. Mount Aloysius answered with an 8-0 run of their own before Niare Poplar brought it to an end with a corner three. Mount Aloysius pushed their lead to six points, but Pitt-Bradford went on a lightning-quick 9-0 run, which put them in front for good. Norris began the rally with another three, and then two steals by Rodriguez turned into a Kaleb Pryor three and an old-fashioned three-point play by Poplar.
The Panthers pushed their advantage to 7 points with 8 minutes remaining in the half, but then locked down defensively, resulting in a 17-0 run over the next 5 minutes of play. Rodriguez and Poplar started the rally with layups, and then Pryor followed with a three from the wing. After three free throws, Maki Hill added a jumper, and Tra Edwards sank a three before Poplar ended the run with another layup. Over the final three minutes of the half, Pitt-Bradford tacked on 12 points to their total, while The Mounties added 9. Clarence Cobbins scored 4 points in the stretch, while Pryor, Hill, Poplar, and David Ramos all made baskets in the paint. The host scored the final 5 points of the half, but the Panthers were able to take a 62-40 lead into the break.
In the second half, the Mounties opened with a free throw, but the Panthers quickly added to the lead with a 10-0 run. Rodriguez made a layup and a three in the rally, while Poplar sank 3 free throws and Norris added a jumper. Mount Aloysius stopped the run with a three; however, the Panthers continued to add to their lead with a Coby Farley three, a pair of free throws by Hill, and a three-point play from Tommy Walton. The Panthers' offensive success continued and then exploded over 100 points after a 7-0 Farley run. The senior guard made a three and then two floating jump shots on consecutive possessions.
A Rodriguez layup put the Panthers over the century mark with 9 minutes left to play. Pitt-Bradford expanded its rotation down the stretch, but was still able to increase its advantage. Edwards scored 5 points on back-to-back possessions, while Hill tacked on 7 more points. The lead reached its high-water mark of 50 after a Nasier Starks layup gave Pitt-Bradford a 130-80 lead with 1:50 on the clock. In the final minutes, Mount Aloysius added 6 more points, and Jalen Jefferson closed the game with a tip-in layup.
Ten different Panthers reached double figures in the victory, including all 5 starters. They shot 60.2% as a team and also grabbed 15 offensive rebounds. Jeremy Rodriguez led all scorers with 19 points, while also tallying 5 steals and 3 assists. Niare Poplar had 17 points, while Tra Edwards added 15. Xander Norris, Clarence Cobbins, and Maki Hill all finished with 13, while Coby Farley and Kaleb Pryor scored 10 each.
The win moves Pitt-Bradford to 7-5 on the season with a 2-2 mark in AMCC play. They will be back in action on Saturday, when they host Penn State-Mont Alto in their final non-conference game of the season. Tipoff is set for 1:00 p.m. in KOA Arena.
