Lions Come Up Short to Panthers; Dropping Two Straight

BRADFORD, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend men's basketball team dropped their second consecutive game; falling short against Pitt-Bradford, 65-62, Saturday afternoon in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) action.

Down by three with 13 seconds remaining, the Lions (18-5, 8-3 AMCC) had an opportunity to even the score, but unfortunately missed the game-tying three-pointer on the final possession of the game.

Against the Panthers (4-19, 3-13 AMCC), Dan Wanker (Pittsburgh, PA/South Park) posted a game-best 17 points while snagging eight rebounds. Malike Brinson (Erie, PA/Central Tech) finished with 14 points and two boards on the day.

Four Pitt-Bradford players recorded double-figure scoring performances in this conference matchup. Christian Kelly-Perkins led the team with 17 points, while Desmond Brogsdale, Reggie Rogers, and Dylan Mitchell all scored 10 points.

The game was a tight battle throughout, with nine lead changes and nine ties making the game dramatic until the end. The entire match was played within 14 points. Behrend's biggest lead was six points and the Panthers topped out at an eight-point lead during the contest.

Pitt-Bradford shot very efficiently in the first half, making 50 percent of its shots (11-22), including 4-of-9 from behind the arc, that assisted in securing a 32-27 lead into the break. The five-point deficit was the second straight game where the Lions trailed at halftime.

Just like the first half, both teams traded buckets for the entire second half. With 46 seconds left, Wanker battled his way for an offensive rebound and put up a layup that brought the deficit to one at 63-62.

As time was winding down, and the shot clock was about to expire, Pitt-Bradford's Sahlil Harris found his way to convert on a layup that put the Panthers up by three to seal the game.

The last second efforts from the Lions came up short. A three-pointer from Wanker bounced off the back iron of the rim, ending the game at 65-62.

Behrend shot a season-low 22.7 percent from the three-point range, marking the second consecutive game where they have shot up 25.0 percent from behind the arc. On the plus side, the Lions recorded 40 of their 62 points in the paint.

The Lions will look to shake off the loss when they host Hilbert on Wednesday, February 14. The game is set to begin at 6 p.m.