Erie, PA -- The University of Pittsburgh of Bradford men's basketball team hit the road on Wednesday night for a tough matchup against 1st Place Penn State-Behrend. The Panthers came out of the gates firing and shot 60% from three to take down the Lions, 95-84.
The Panthers jumped out to a lightning-quick 12-2 lead, scoring on their first five possessions of the contest. Kaleb Pryor got things started with a layup, and then Jeremy Rodriguez added 5 straight. After Niare Poplar made a layup, Xander Norris made a pair of threes around a Penn State-Behrend basket to put the Panthers up 15-4, a lead that they would never relinquish. The hosts put together a rally over the next four minutes, cutting the lead to 4, but the Panthers stayed in front with layups by Norris and Xavion Boone, as well as four points from Clarence Cobbins.
The hosts cut the lead to 1 with 8:18 remaining in the half; however, the Panthers had an immediate answer, as Pryor answered with a three of his own. Penn State-Behrend added another layup, but Norris made a midrange shot, and then another from beyond the arc to push the lead back to 7. The Lions had another rally that once again put them one point behind the Panthers, but before they could move in front, Pitt-Bradford found an answer. They scored 7 in a row over 3 minutes to force a Penn State-Behrend timeout. Cobbins started the rally with a driving layup, and then, after Coby Farley added another, Rodriguez hit from deep again. In the final seconds, Tra Edwards hit one more three-pointer for the Panthers, giving them a 48-40 halftime lead.
The Lions opened the second half with a stop and a free throw, but the Panthers were able to push their lead into double digits with a Cobbins layup and a three-point play by Rodriguez. Cobbins made two more baskets inside to slow a charge by the hosts; however, a 6-0 run put them within one point once again with 12:23 on the clock. Pryor stopped the run with a driving layup, and then, after Behrend matched his basket, Norris sank a long three. The senior single-handedly kept the Panthers ahead for the next two minutes, scoring 9 straight points for Pitt-Bradford.
After the Lions rallied again and cut the Panther lead to 2 points, Pitt-Bradford kept their range from three, making long balls on three consecutive possessions. Rodriguez assisted Boone on the first, and then made the next two himself. Penn State Behrend answered the second Rodriguez three with a layup; however, the Panthers followed with 7 straight to restore their double-digit advantage. Poplar made a short jumper and then, on the ensuing possession, stole the ball in the backcourt and converted it into a layup before Norris made another three to put the Panthers ahead 84-71 with 4:16 remaining. The hosts made one final push, but Norris stepped up and scored 7 of the Panthers final 9 points to secure the 96-84 victory.
Xander Norris set a career high with 32 points in the victory. He made 12-14 from the field, including 7-9 from beyond the arc. Jeremy Rodriguez also had an efficient shooting night, scoring 22 points on 7-12 shooting, including 5-7 from three. He also led the team with 7 rebounds. Clarence Cobbins added 14 points, while Xavion Boone scored 9 off the bench.
As a team, the Panthers finished with a 61.7% field goal percentage, while also making 15-25 from beyond the arc. They also made all 6 attempted free throws.
The win moves the Panthers to 14-9 overall with a 9-5 record in AMCC play. They will have the weekend off before heading to the Buffalo area next weekend for a matchup against Hilbert that will have major implications on seeding for the AMCC Tournament. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
