BRADFORD, PA – The Houghton Highlanders suffered a narrow 81-78 defeat to the Pitt.-Bradford Panthers on Friday evening at the McDowell Sport & Fitness Center, despite taking a six-point lead into halftime. The Panthers rallied in the second half, outscoring Houghton 42-33 to secure the season-opening victory.
The Highlanders started strong offensively, shooting 59.3 percent from the field in the first half to build a 45-39 advantage.
Lou Bellamy led the way early, scoring 14 of his game-high 25 points before halftime as Houghton established control of the contest.
Pitt.-Bradford responded after the break, gradually chipping away at the deficit before taking the lead midway through the second half. The Panthers capitalized on Houghton's turnovers, scoring 32 points off turnovers while recording 19 steals. Despite the late surge, the Highlanders continued to battle, pulling within one point at 79-78 with just 10 seconds remaining. However, Pitt.-Bradford converted two free throws in the closing seconds to preserve the three-point victory.
GAME VITALS
Score: Houghton – 78 | Pitt.-Bradford – 81
Records: Houghton: 0-1 | Pitt.-Bradford: 1-0
Venue: McDowell Sport & Fitness Center, Bradford, PA | Attendance: 300
NOTABLE STATS
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Lou Bellamy led the Highlanders with 25 points and 14 rebounds, recording a double-double in 26 minutes of action. Bellamy was highly efficient from the field, shooting 7-for-9, while also converting 11 of his 12 free-throw attempts.
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Tyson Clark added 14 points, while
Jake Verschoyle contributed 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the field.
Trey Kleitz also reached double figures with 10 points, including two three-pointers.
>> Houghton finished the contest shooting an impressive 53.8 percent (28-for-52) from the field and out-rebounded the Panthers 42-35. However, the Highlanders struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 3-of-16 attempts, and committed 28 turnovers.
COACH'S INSIGHTS
"We knew it was going to come down to whether or not we turned it over and we ended up turning it over a lot. We lost a lot of leads and games like this last season. For tonight it carried over. We have to be better possessing the ball. Pitt-Bradford scored 32 of their 81 on our mistakes and took 23 more shots than we did. It's hard to overcome that kind of deficit."
"Our offense was really good when we didn't turn it over and our defense was some of the best it's been since I arrived in Houghton. Still a lot to look forward to this season. This crew will improve." - Head Coach
Jeremy Bialek
UP NEXT
The Highlanders will continue their efforts in the Pitt-Bradford Veterans' Memorial Tipoff Tournament tomorrow afternoon, taking on Franciscan University at 12:00 PM. The game will be held at the McDowell Sport & Fitness Center in Bradford, PA.
