By HUNTER O. LYLE
lyleoleanstar@gmail.com
After eeking out a nail biter for their first game of the season, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men’s basketball team is back in action and ready to make another run at the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference postseason.
A season ago, the Panthers found a successful campaign that produced a 14-12 record. In league play, they finished 10-8, good enough for fifth place in the AMCC and a trip to the playoffs. Once there, however, Pitt-Bradford matched up against Pitt-Greensburg and were ultimately sent home in the first round.
“Last year we had basically a whole new team except for a couple returners and I thought that there was a point in the season where we were playing really good basketball. If you look at the schedule we beat La Roche and (Penn-State Behrend) who both embed up in the championship game,” said Pitt-Bradford head coach Jesse DeLoof, “but then I thought we plateaued. I think there’s a lot to learn from that. There’s a variety of reasons why we didn’t continue to improve and why we might have peaked at the wrong time, but it’s a learning experience.”
Back for his fourth year at the helm of the Panthers, DeLoof welcomes back a large part of his core, including the team’s lone All-Conference First Team member Jamarion Butler. In his first season with the team, joining as a junior from Neosho County Community College in Chanute, KS, Butler averaged 17 points per game on 44 percent shooting alongside six rebounds and close to three assists per game. Having proven himself already, DeLoof will look to Butler to help lead the way.
“I expect consistency from him. Being consistent in practice,” said DeLoof. “He’s an extremely talented player and the biggest thing with him is just consistent effort and attitude. If he brings it every day, I think everyone else will too.”
Returning alongside the All-Conference select are five other Panthers in Keshon Kittrell, Logan Joncas, Coby Farley, Jesse Laster and Xavion Boone. With over 10 newcomers joining Pitt-Bradford this season, the team will look to these seasoned Panthers to help engrain the program’s culture into the fresh faces.
“I think there’s just a familiarity with them in knowing what’s expected in our program. They’re a little more battle-tested. They’ve been in close games, they know how things ramp up come conference play,” said DeLoof. “They know what’s expected as far as effort and accountability and team-first play. It’s not just going to be coming from me. This year I have a good group that knows that so it won’t just be my voice all the time, it can also be theirs.”
Pitt-Bradford started their season last Saturday, traveling to Ohio to take on Hiram in a non-conference matchup. In their first showing, the Panthers started off more than shaky, staring down a 23-point deficit in the first half. However, they remained resilient and countered with a 38-18 to close out the first half before battling throughout the second to force overtime. In the extra period, the Panthers managed to outscore the Terriers 9-8, winning their first game of the season by just a single point. Butler led Pitt-Bradford with 30 points, five rebounds, four assists and five steals while Braylen Salters had 25 points, three rebounds, three assists and four steals.
“We need to be ready to play from the start. Credit to Hiram, I thought they got comfortable early and were ready for their home opener,” said DeLoof. “We have a lot of stuff to clean up. I like that we battled. Down 23 in the first half, a bad team would roll over there, but I don’t think anyone thought we were out of it. We just kept chipping away and knew we had to play harder. I don’t want to say we were lucky to come out with a win, but it definitely could have gone either way.”
While not the optimal way to start a season, DeLoof knows a win is a win. Moving forward, he also knows the Panthers have a lot of work to do before conference play starts in January. That being said, the best way to get there is taking it one day at a time.
“The goal is to have a good practice tonight. We’ll scout Grove City and we’ll prepare for that with a good film session and good practice,” said DeLoof. “Then tomorrow we’ll get off the bus at Grove City and be ready to compete and give ourselves a chance to win. We have goals but we can’t win an AMCC championship today.”
Pitt-Bradford 2024-2025 Schedule
November
Wednesday, Nov. 13 – Pitt-Bradford at Grove City, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 16 – Penn St.-DuBois at Pitt-Bradford, 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 20 – Alfred at Pitt-Bradford, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 22 – Pitt-Bradford at Fredonia, 2 p.m.
December
Tuesday, Dec. 3 – Pitt-Bradford at Buffalo (Exhibition), 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 7 – Mt. Aloysius at Pitt-Bradford, 2 p.m.*
Tuesday, Dec. 10 – Houghton at Pitt-Bradford, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 14 – Hilbert at Pitt-Bradford, 2 p.m.*
Sunday, Dec. 29 – Pitt-Bradford at Wooster (Wooster Kiwanis Classic), 5 p.m.
January
Saturday, Jan. 4 – Pitt-Bradford at La Roche, 2 p.m.*
Wednesday, Jan. 8 – Pitt-Bradford at Carlow, 5 p.m.*
Saturday, Jan. 11 – Pitt-Bradford at Penn St.-Behrend, 2 p.m.*
Wednesday, Jan. 15 – Alfred St. at Pitt-Bradford, 7 p.m.*
Saturday, Jan. 18 – Pitt.-Greensburg at Pitt-Bradford, 2 p.m.*
Wednesday, Jan. 22 – Pitt-Bradford at Penn St.-Altoona, 7 p.m.*
Saturday, Jan. 25 – Pitt-Bradford at Mt. Aloysius, 2 p.m.*
February
Saturday, Feb. 1 – Pitt-Bradford at La Roche, 2 p.m.*
Wednesday, Feb. 5 – Pitt-Bradford at Hilbert, 5 p.m.*
Saturday, Feb. 8 – Pitt-Bradford at Carlow, 2 p.m.*
Wednesday, Feb. 12 – Pitt-Bradford at Alfred St., 7 p.m.*
Saturday, Feb. 15 – Penn St.-Behrend at Pitt-Bradford, 2 p.m.*
Wednesday, Feb. 19 – Penn St.-Altoona at Pitt-Bradford, 7 p.m.*
Saturday, Feb. 22 – Pitt-Bradford at Pitt.-Greensburg, 2 p.m.*
* = Conference
