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The Pitt‑Greensburg men's basketball team battled through a wire‑to‑wire thriller on Wednesday night at La Roche, but despite a furious second‑half surge and standout performances from multiple starters, the Bobcats fell just short in an 80–77 road defeat in AMCC play.
Pitt‑Greensburg came out firing, opening the game with an 8–2 run sparked by early three‑pointers from Jackson Byer and Trent Rozich. Ty Keffer added a strong finish inside as the Bobcats set the tone offensively. But as quickly as the lead was built, La Roche responded, turning several UPG turnovers into run‑outs to reclaim momentum. Still, the Bobcats continued to find ways to score at the rim, with Michael Bigley and Byer connecting on drives throughout the half.
As the opening period wound down, Pitt‑Greensburg trailed by only a possession on multiple occasions, but La Roche generated a key burst in the final minute. A late three from Jeston Beatty helped the Redhawks take a 44–39 advantage into the locker room despite 13 first‑half points from Byer and seven early rebounds by Rozich.
Pitt‑Greensburg answered immediately after the break. Bigley's three‑pointer at the 16‑minute mark provided a lift, and Rozich continued attacking the lane, finishing tough shots to chip away at the deficit. The Bobcats tied the game at 56–56 with just over 11 minutes remaining when Byer converted a three‑point play after Rozich jumped a passing lane and fired a perfect feed in transition.
The teams traded baskets over the next several possessions, neither side leading by more than three. Matthew Marinchak provided a spark with two straight layups to tie the game at 60, part of an eight‑point second‑half effort that kept UPG within striking distance. Moments later, two made free throws by Marinchak gave the Bobcats a 66–63 edge, their first lead of the half.
La Roche countered again, but Byer refused to let the Bobcats fade. He scored twice in the paint in the closing minutes, including a strong finish with 1:39 remaining that tied the game at 76–76. However, the Redhawks earned a trip to the line and sank both free throws to pull ahead by two. Rozich converted one of two free throws with 22 seconds left to bring UPG within 78–77, giving the Bobcats one more chance.
But La Roche answered with a tough layup through traffic to push the margin to three with 11 seconds remaining. Pitt‑Greensburg had two last looks at the tie — a Marinchak three from the right wing and a desperation heave from Rozich at the horn — but neither fell as the Bobcats were forced to watch the final seconds expire.
Byer finished with a game‑high 23 points on 10‑of‑17 shooting, adding three rebounds and two steals. Rozich delivered a double‑double with 19 points and 11 boards, while Bigley added 11 points and three assists. Marinchak scored 10 and snagged seven rebounds, and Keffer pulled down eight boards to go with six points.
Despite winning the rebounding battle 38–33 and outscoring La Roche 40–34 in the paint, Pitt‑Greensburg couldn't fully overcome La Roche's perimeter shooting and timely plays in transition. The Bobcats drop to 14–3 overall and 6–2 in the AMCC.
