Bradford, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men's basketball team lost a heartbreaker to Penn State-Behrend on Wednesday evening as a game-winning shot attempt bounced away from the basket, finalizing a 72-71 loss.
Pitt-Bradford jumped out to a quick start as they were able to score the first seven points of the game. Caden Beldin started the scoring on a putback layup and after a Nathan Schneider Steal, Beldin picked up an assist on a Phillip Wallace three. Schneider added a layup to make it 7-0 before the Lions were able to get on the board. Pitt-Bradford maintained a 7-point lead through 11 minutes of play before the Panthers got hot from beyond the arc, hitting threes on five of six possessions. Wallace popped open for four straight before Schneider hit the fifth.
The guests were able to answer some of the long balls, but a midrange jumper from Jeremy Rodriguez put the Panthers up 14 with 6 minutes left in the half. The Panthers finished the half with two more threes, one from Wallace and another from Trey Oyler and Lennon Lindholm added three from the charity stripe. The Lions were able to score 8 points in the same time frame, sending the game to the break with Pitt-Bradford leading 42-30.
The Panthers struggled to regain their footing after halftime, as the Lions quickly halved the deficit in just two and a half minutes, while the Panthers could only muster layups from Schneider and Beldin. Schneider kept the Panther lead intact for the first 10 minutes, scoring 7 of 11 points in a 6-minute stretch before the visitors were able to take their first lead of the game at 59-58 with 7:40 to go.
The Lions slowly extended their lead to 5 after a midrange jumper with 3 minutes remaining, but it would not last long. Out of a Pitt-Bradford timeout, Schneider cut to the basket and completed a three-point play. After Penn STate-Behrend converted one of two free throws, BJ Williams was able to get in the lane and convert a three-point play of his own to tie the game at 69 with 2 minutes to go.
Both teams made a pair of defensive stops to set up a thrilling finish over the final 30 seconds. With time dwindling on the shot clock, the Panthers were able to force a loose ball but were unable to control the loose ball resulting in a Lion inbound play with 2 seconds left on the shot clock. From the inbounds, Pitt-Bradford forced the Lions into a tough shot from the corner, but the high arching effort from the Lions swished through the net to put the guests back in from 72-69. After a timeout, the Panthers took possession and Jeremey Rodriguez drove to the basket and made a layup to cut the lead to one. On the resulting inbounds play, the Panthers were able to trap the Lions and force a jump ball with five seconds to go. Following a final timeout as the Panthers drew up an inbound play, Wallace was able to get loose for a jumper at the buzzer but saw his effort bounce away to end the game.
Phillip Wallace led the Panthers in scoring, finishing with 24 points. He got off to a hot start in the first half, making 8-9 from the field and 6-7 from three to score 22 in the period. Nathan Schneider picked up the scoring in the second half, finishing with 20 points. He also led the Panthers with 9 rebounds and added 3 assists and 3 steals. Jeremy Rodriguez added 10 points off the bench.
The Panthers fall to 7-7 on the season with a 1-2 record in AMCC play. They will hit the road again this weekend, as they travel to Penn State-Altoona for another crucial conference matchup. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
