Panthers achieve best season start in over a decade
By HUNTER O. LYLE
lyleoleanstar@gmail.com
BRADFORD, PA – Through three games, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford’s men’s basketball team has seen it all: a 20-point comeback, a close contest and now, with a 116-90 win over Penn St.-DuBois, a blowout, all of which have come as victories.
The Panthers’ 3-0 start, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since head coach Jesse DeLoof was playing as a senior in 2013, shows progress. The program has seen steady and incremental improvement over the years and now it seems as if everything is starting to fall into place.
“I think it’s coming along, what we’re trying to do,” said DeLoof. “I think we’re getting better at it. As a head coach you always want (the process) to be faster but it’s going in the right direction.”
Pitt-Bradford got going quickly. Their strategy of playing a breakneck pace proved effective as they were able to cruise through the Nittany Lions full-court-press for looks at close range. However, their defense took a little longer to develop. Implementing their own press, the Panthers were unable to stop the long outlet passes that gave the Lions open looks at the basket and after the first six minutes of play, Pitt-Bradford held a slim 16-14 advantage.
Resettling with a timeout, Pitt-Bradford collectively pulled together on defense, forcing PS DuBois into tough shots at the rim or contested jumpers that missed their mark. With their opponents stalled, Pitt-Bradford’s offense continued to roll as they built up a lead. Capped off with back-to-back triples from Keshon Kittrell, Pitt-Bradford solidified their lead with a 20-3 run that put them up 36-17 with just over eight minutes remaining in the half.
“The guys were ready to play. We want the game to be up and down, up and down, and for some teams you need to make them play that way,” said DeLoof. “You have to force them to play that way and we use that to our advantage.”
Then it was time for the Lions to do some soul searching with a decisive timeout and, just as with Pitt-Bradford, they found results after a quick break. Led with staunch defense in the mid-court and aggressive rebounding on the offensive glass, PS DuBois sparked their own run, initially scoring eight unanswered points that eventually cut the deficit back to single digits.
Feeling the momentum shift, the Panthers doubled down on their defensive efforts to force four turnovers in the closing minutes. Capitalizing on the Lions’ mistakes, Pitt-Bradford ended the half on a 12-4 stretch that put them up by 20 going into the intermission.
“It just came down to lineups. We adjusted some lineups and that helped us. That first group wasn’t rebounding well and we just needed to have the right guys in there and find the right rhythm,” said DeLoof. “That’s the thing, once we find a lineup that’s working, we’re going to roll with it. I’ll call a timeout before I sub that lineup out.”
Having a substantial lead already, the Panthers kept their foot on the pedal entering the second half. Smelling blood in the water, they burst out of the gates with an unmatched energy that produced a 7-2 run in the opening minutes. Executing perfectly on defense, under the boards and beyond the arc, Pitt-Bradford ran circles around the Lions as they continued to add to their lead. Dipping into their bench, Logan Joncas cashed in on back-to-back 3-pointers while Xander Norris poured in six consecutive points and three hard fought offensive boards to put the Panthers up by 30.
“I think it was nice to see our top 10-ish guys kind of make a point to get the other guys in and also just being so excited for them,” said DeLoof. “Some of our freshmen that are on our scout team that bring it and do a good job at practice everyday, I thought some of them took advantage of that opportunity.”
With the game all but decided, both teams ran through the motions as they awaited the final buzzer. In front of a welcoming student and fan section, the Panthers had christened KOA Arena with a statement victory.
Braylen Salters led the Panthers in the scoring column with 23 points on 7-for-10 shooting, including hitting three of his five shots from beyond the arc and tallying four steals. Norris ended with 13 points, six rebounds and three assists while Kittrell finished with 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Looking to keep their record untarnished, the Panthers will stay at home for their next match when they take on Alfred on Wednesday.
