GREENSBURG, Pa:  After holding a commanding lead for much of the first half, the Pitt-Greensburg men's basketball team couldn't hold on in the second half, falling to Medaille 82-79 in front of the home crowd in Chambers Hall.

The loss is the Bobcats' first in conference play, as they came in with an unbeaten 4-0 mark, tied for the top spot in the AMCC.  Both UPG and Medaille now sit at 4-1 in the league.
Pitt-Greensburg led by as many as 13 in the first half, with Marcus Thomas scoring 10 of his 18 points in the first twenty minutes.  UPG dictated the pace of play with their high energy, up-tempo style on offense and went into halftime with an 8 point lead at 42-34.

Medaille scored the first basket of the game but did not lead again until midway thru the second half, when they used a 17-7 run to grab a one point advantage at 55-54.  The Mavericks extended their lead to as many as 8 in the second half, but the Bobcats would fight down the stretch to cut into the lead. 

UPG's Brian Heinle hit a clutch three point basket with 30 seconds remaining to cut the Maverick lead to 80-79.  The Bobcats were forced to foul and after two good Maverick free throws, a last second three point attempt from Heinle fell short, and Medaille escaped Greensburg with the victory.

For the game, UPG shot 44% (30-67) from the floor and 8 of 25 (32%) from three point range while the Mavericks put up similar numbers from the floor at 47% (30-63) but also managed to get to the free throw line 26 times, converting 18 of those chances.  The Mavericks were paced by AMCC pre-season player of the year, Jammal Coleman who recored a double-double with 17 points and 13 assists.

Pitt-Greensburg was led by Thomas, who registered a double-double of his own with 18 points and 10 rebounds.  Heinle added 16 points and 9 rebounds in 33 minutes of work to help the cause.

Pitt-Greensburg will be back on the court tomorrow (Jan 11) with a big showdown against AMCC leader and reigning conference champions Penn State Behrend.  Tip-off is set for 4pm.