Alfred, NY -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men's basketball team hit the road on Wednesday, taking on Alfred State in an AMCC tilt. The Panthers led early and held off a late Pioneer charge to pick up their third straight AMCC victory in a row with a 97-88 win.
Jeremy Rodriguez got off to a quick start, opening the game with a driving layup and then a three-point play. With the score tied at 8, Coby Farley put the Panthers back in front, and then after a Pioneer layup, Tommy Walton made a basket inside to kick off a 9-2 Pitt-Bradford run. Tra Edwards followed with a pair of jumpers, and then, after an Alfred State basket, Xander Norris sank a three to put the Panthers up 6.
With ten minutes left in the half, the Panthers led 35-24, but they went on a lightning-quick 8-0 run to build a 9-point advantage. Maki Hill made a corner three to start the run, before Edwards made a three and a layup to put the Panthers ahead 33-24. The hosts stopped the rally with a free throw and a three-pointer, but Niare Poplar kept the Panthers ahead with a three-point play with 5 minutes left until the break. The Pioneers attempted to cut into the lead; however, the Panthers continued to battle and simultaneously kept the hosts from rallying, and also adding to their lead. With two minutes left in the half, Poplar made two free throws, and Farley made a fast-break layup to extend the lead to 12. Xavion Boone made a late layup in the half, but Alfred State answered with a dunk to send the game to the half with Pitt-Bradford ahead 49-40.
In the second half, Clarence Cobbins threw down an early lunch, but it was in the midst of a 9-2 run, which trimmed the lead to 2 after two minutes. The Panthers were able to stop the rally and slowly rebuild their advantage, using 6 points from Poplar and 4 from Rodriguez. The hosts slowly chipped away at the lead until the 7:47 mark, when they were able to tie the game at 70 from the free-throw line. Despite erasing the Panther lead, the hosts were never able to pull ahead, as Rodriguez scored four straight for the Panthers.
Tied at 74 with 7 minutes remaining, Clarence Cobbins restored the Pitt-Bradford lead with a free throw, beginning an 11-4 run. Hill and Rodriguez made layups in the rally, while Norris and Poplar hit threes on consecutive possessions. The hosts rallied one final time, scoring four straight to cut the advantage to three points, but the Panthers stopped the run with a clutch layup from Boone, and then made six of six free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.
Niare Poplar and Jeremy Rodriguez both finished with 21 points. Poplar secured his second consecutive double-double, grabbing 11 rebounds, while also menacing the Pioneers defensively with 4 steals and 3 blocked shots. He went 6-10 from the field, including 2-2 from three and 7-7 from the stripe. Rodriguez also had a perfect day from the line, making all 9 he attempted. Tra Edwards added 13 points off the bench, while Xander Norris also finished in double figures with 10 points.
The win moves the Panthers to 8-6 on the season with a 3-2 mark in AMCC play. They will be back on the road this weekend, when they travel to Carlow for another AMCC matchup. Tipoff is set for approximately 4:00 p.m.
