Steubenville, Oh. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men's basketball team made a late comeback push cutting a 17 point Franciscan lead to only 5 points. The rally was cut short by the hosts, as the Panthers went on to lose the game 85-75.

Game Notes:

• Dylan Meyer got the Panthers off the board on the first possession of the game, hitting a mid-range jump shot off a pass from Jeffery Fry. The lead did not last long as the Barons responded with a bucket of their own and quickly built a double-digit lead over the opening 5 minutes of play.
• With 10 minutes to go in the half, the Panthers were able to score 7 straight to cut their deficit to 5. Nick Carmichael hit a free throw to start the rally, then Gavin Boggs and Alex Rodriguez each hit threes to cap it.
• Franciscan was able to Keep the Pitt-Bradford offense in check over the last 8 minutes of the first, building a 40-29 lead at halftime.
• Following the break, the Barons used a 5-0 run to push the lead to 16. The Panthers were able to answer the run immediately, using a Nick Carmichael three and Meyer layup. The teams traded baskets throughout the next 5 minutes until the Barons were able to slowly increase the lead to 18 points.
• With 7:29 to go, the Panthers went on an 18 to 6 run over four and a half minutes to move within 5 points of the Barons. The Run started from the free-throw line as Daniel Lynch and Boggs made four in a row. After a Franciscan layup, Dylan Meyer made a basket inside and Fry converted all three free throws after being fouled on a deep jumper. Fry then nullified a Franciscan three with one of his own and Lynch got the deficit to single digits with another from the line. Boggs hit two more free throws and Lynch hit a three in transition to force a Franciscan timeout. 
• The Panthers went cold after the timeout, which allowed the Barons to push their advantage back to 10 points.

Leaders:

• Gavin Boggs led the Panthers with a career-high 19 points. He made 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and made all ten free throws he attempted.
• Daniel Lynch scored 17 points in the defeat, shooting 50% from the field.
• Dylan Meyer finished in double-figures for the 6th straight contest. He scored 14 points on 7 of 14 shooting. He also grabbed 7 rebounds.
• Nick Carmichael led the Panther rebounding effort, finishing with 11, including 4 on the offensive end.

The Panthers are now 1-17 this season with a 0-13 record in AMCC play. After playing five games in ten days, the Panthers will have a much-deserved bye over the midweek. They will return to action on Saturday, February 1st when they host Pitt-Greensburg. The game will tip-off at 2:00 p.m. in KOA Arena.