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Pitt-Greensburg men's basketball delivered one of its most complete performances of the season on Wednesday night, shooting nearly 60 percent from the field and using a massive run that stretched across both halves to roll past Penn State Altoona, 99–74, inside Adler Arena.
The Bobcats had to weather an early Altoona surge, as the Lions jumped ahead 11–3 five minutes into the game. But Pitt-Greensburg's depth quickly changed the tone. Tyler Freas broke the ice for the bench group with a strong finish at the rim, followed by an Arkel Batts drive and a put-back from Jahmir Collins that pulled UPG right back into it. A pair of Ryan Kull free throws moments later erased the deficit entirely, tying the game at 16–16.
From there, the Bobcats found their rhythm. Matthew Marinchak sparked the team's first big push, knocking down a jumper to give Pitt-Greensburg its first lead since the opening minute. He followed with back-to-back threes and a perfect trip to the line, fueling an extended 18–9 run that put UPG ahead 36–27. The Bobcats continued to build momentum late in the half, highlighted by another Marinchak three and two hard-driving layups from Jackson Byer in the closing 30 seconds, sending Pitt-Greensburg into the locker room with a 49–37 lead.
Any hopes Altoona had of climbing back into the game evaporated quickly after halftime. On the Bobcats' first true offensive possession of the half, Ty Keffer drilled a three from the right wing. Less than a minute later, Michael Bigley hit another from deep. On the next trip, Byer stepped into a transition three that pushed the margin to 58–37 and forced an Altoona timeout just over two minutes into the period.
UPG never looked back.
Marrinchak stayed hot, burying another three at the 16-minute mark as the lead ballooned past 20. Byer remained a force inside, scoring through contact and relentlessly hitting the glass. Trent Rozich consistently found seams in the paint for short jumpers and layups, while the bench continued its strong night, highlighted by key makes from Freas, Batts, and Kull.
The Bobcats' offense stayed blisteringly efficient throughout the half, and their defense produced timely stops any time Altoona showed signs of life. Rozich scored on back-to-back possessions midway through the period to push the lead back to 20, and a late burst that included a Keffer layup, Byer free throws, and a transition finish by Collins sealed the final margin.
Marrinchak led the way with 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including five threes. Byer added 15 points, eight rebounds, and three steals, while Rozich scored 14 and Bigley and Keffer each hit double figures. In total, eleven Bobcats reached the scoring column as the team shot 59 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc.
The win lifts Pitt-Greensburg to 20–4 overall and 12–3 in conference play, marking another milestone in a strong February surge.
The Bobcats close out the regular season on Saturday as they host Pitt-Bradford for senior day.