Bradford, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men's basketball team picked up an important win over Alfred State on Wednesday night, while senior Nathan Schneider became the 26th men's basketball player to join the 1000 Point Club.
Schneider entered the game needing 17 points to eclipse the milestone, but it was his teammates that got off to a strong start as the Panthers were able to score three times within the first three minutes. Phillip Wallace started the scoring with a layup on the opening possession of the game, and Jeremy Rodriguez added a floating jump shot a minute later. Caden Beldin was able to drive to the basket to answer a Pioneer layup before the visitors cut the lead to one with a three. Schneider got on the board on the following possession, as he drove to the basket and converted an old-fashioned three-point play.
While Schneider may have believed the milestone was in reach, he was not pressing for it as he was able to pick up three assists as the Panthers pushed their lead to 18-9 after ten minutes. The run was punctuated when Schneider found a cutting Wallace for a two-handed slam dunk. The Panther lead fluctuated from six to 11 points before Pitt-Bradford closed the half on a 7-0 run. Schneider started the rally with a pair of free throws before finding Napoleon for a wide-open three on the next possession. He grabbed an offensive rebound off of a Wallace miss in the final minute before finding Trayshon Tucker for an open layup, sending the game to the break with Pitt-Bradford up 34-21.
The Panthers were unable to maintain their momentum after the break, as Alfred State quickly scored nine of the first eleven points to cut the advantage to six. Lennon Lindholm made a three and Gavyn Mason added a putback layup to slow the rally, but would not succeed for long, as Alfred State was able to take a shot 53-52 lead with 11:47 to go. The Pioneer edge did not last long as Wallace made a three on the next possession to put the Panthers back in front. Napoleon added a layup after a timeout, setting the stage for Schneider to reach 1000. After grabbing a defensive rebound, Schneider was able to draw a reach-in foul, sending him to the line for one-and-one at 998 career points. Schneider was able to settle down, and sink both free throws to reach 1000.
Following a quick break to recognize Schneider, the visitors came out firing, scoring six quick points to tie the game at 59. Lindholm made a free throw before Alfred State retook the lead with a fast-break layup, but the Panthers responded quickly and locked down defensively. They kept Alfred Stae off the board for nearly five minutes, scoring nine unanswered to jump back ahead. With two minutes left, the Panthers seemed to put the game away as they were able to make four straight free throws after Alfred State was charged with a reach-in foul, followed by a quick technical. In the final minute, Schneider finished the game, making a putback layup with 30 seconds remaining.
Schneider finished the contests with game-highs in points, rebounds, and assists. He totaled 25 points on 9-16 from the field, 14 rebounds, including 5 offensive, and 7 assists. Phillip Wallace was also able to reach double-digits, finishing with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Gus Napoleon added 10 points off the bench, marking his 4th straight double-figure performance as the sixth man.
The Victory moves Pitt-Bradford to 10-10 on the season, with a 4-5 record in AMCC play. This puts them in a three-way tie for 4th place in the standings. They will look to get back above .500 this weekend, as they will host Mount Aloysius at 2:00 p.m. in KOA Arena.
