GREENSBURG, PA- Cody Spaid went 10 of 11 from the field to score a career best 24 points, as the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg men's basketball team outlasted Hilbert College, 84-81, on Saturday (Jan. 25) afternoon. The Bobcats improve to 15-3 overall and 11-1 in AMCC play, while staying a perfect 9-0 inside Chambers Hall. Hilbert moves to 11-7 on the season and 7-6 in conference.
Matt Johnson netted double figures for the 10th straight game with a 16-point performance. Cam Seigfreid added 15 points and Torian Jenkins had 14 on 4-of-6 shooting.
The first half saw no team lead by more than four points, as each team held that advantage twice. Hilbert's came at 4-0 at the bottom of the opening minute and 10-6 at 16:21. Pitt-Greensburg's came at 3:52 (34-30) and then at 2:15 when Jenkins made consecutive free throws to put the score at 36-32.
Hilbert closed the half on a 7-0 run to take a 39-36 lead into the break. Seven of the afternoon's 12 ties and eight of the 13 lead changes came in the opening half.
After the Bobcats scored the first six points of the second half off of a JoJo France three pointer and a Spaid and-one, the Hawks went on a 14-2 run to gain a double-digit (54-44) lead at the 13:57 mark.
A scrum after a foul on France's layup attempt at 12:20 lead to a technical foul on Hilbert and four free throws for France. He connected on all four, which where amidst a 10-0 run by UPG to tie the game at 56. Seigfreid finished the game-tying spurt with a lay in at 11:22.
For the following six minutes the teams went back and forth as the lead changed hands three times.
Pitt-Greensburg locked down on defense and held Hilbert to 1-of-7 shooting from 5:43 to 1:01. During the just under five-minute span, UPG scored 12 points to Hilbert's two and took a six-point (78-72) lead into the final minute of the game. Jenkins, Johnson, and Spaid all scored four points over the run.
In the final minute the Bobcats did their job at the free throw line to get the win. Hilbert drained a three pointer with five seconds left to make it a two-point game (83-81), but Johnson came back and sunk one of two free throws to hold an 84-81 lead with three seconds left. UPG's defense held strong as they didn't let the Hawks get off a shot in their final possession.
UPG sank 54% (27-50) of their shots and 81.3% (26-32) of their free throws, including eight for eight from the charity stripe in the first half. Hilbert shot 50% (11-22) from three and 48.3% (28-58) overall.
Spaid led the Bobcats with eight rebounds and three steals as well. Isaiah Zeise recorded his first career block in the game.
Pitt-Greensburg hits the road for their next matchup on Wednesday (Jan. 29) against Penn State Behrend. Tip-off from Erie is set for 6 pm Wednesday. The Bobcats outlasted the Lions 71-69 back on November 30.
