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Pitt-Greensburg men's basketball turned a tight first half into a convincing win on Saturday afternoon, defeating Carlow 96-73 at the Donahue Pavilion. The Bobcats improved to 11-2 overall and 3-1 in AMCC play behind a balanced offensive attack and relentless defensive pressure.
The opening 20 minutes were a battle of runs, with seven lead changes and three ties. Matthew Marinchak provided an early spark, knocking down two three-pointers to keep UPG close after Carlow jumped ahead 6-3. Trent Rozich's layup at the 11:18 mark gave the Bobcats their first lead at 19-17, and the game remained tight until the closing seconds of the half.
With the score knotted at 32-32 in the final minute, Marinchak buried a clutch three-pointer to swing momentum. Seconds later, Rozich converted a layup off a steal, and Michael Bigley added two free throws to send Pitt-Greensburg into the locker room with a 37-32 advantage.
The Bobcats wasted no time extending that lead after halftime. Rozich opened the second half with a jumper and later drilled a three-pointer to ignite a 10-2 run. By the midpoint of the half, Pitt-Greensburg was in full control. Tyler Freas knocked down back-to-back threes, and Arkel Batts scored nine points off the bench during the surge. A Byer layup at 6:20 pushed the lead to 31 points, the largest of the game.
Marinchak and Rozich led the way with 18 points apiece, combining for seven three-pointers and strong rebounding efforts. Jackson Byer added 13 points and two steals, while Ty Keffer chipped in nine points and a team-high four steals. Off the bench, Batts was perfect from the field and the line for nine points, and Freas contributed six points on two second-half triples.
Pitt-Greensburg shot 56.8% in the second half and finished at 46.6% for the game, while forcing 23 Carlow turnovers that led to 23 points. The Bobcats also dominated inside, outscoring the Celtics 36-24 in the paint.
