ERIE, Pa. – The Pitt-Bradford men's basketball team struggled defensively in the opening minutes of an 87–71 defeat to conference-foe Penn State Behrend in the semi-final round of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Tournament.

The Panthers were unable to counter the Lions' attack offensively and spent much of the first period searching for answers at the bucket.

Senior Brandon McClester, taking the court for the final time in a Pitt-Bradford uniform, led the Panthers in scoring for the night with 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Pitt-Bradford (16-11, 11-7) hit the floor out of sync and couldn't find a rhythm offensively as the Lions were in control from the opening tip. The Panthers found a way to keep it close in the first four minutes, but with 16:14 to play, a triple from the Lions opened the scoring.

Penn State Behrend (22-4, 15-3) worked its way down the court continuously from that point on, finding ways to create a shot from behind the arc. The Lions drained a total of seven triples in the first twenty minutes.

Trailing by nine with 10:30 to go until the break, McClester sank a jump shot that seemed to give the Panthers hope. Unfortunately, the Lions responded immediately and the Lions carried a 52-28 lead into the locker room.

Pitt-Bradford finished the first half shooting 37.5 percent from the field and connected on just a single attempt from three. The Panthers were three of four from the line.

The Lions shot 61.8 percent from the floor during the first twenty minutes, including 58.3 percent from behind the arc. They were three of three from behind the charity stripe.

As the second half got underway, McClester put the Panthers on the board first with a strong finish at the basket and Pitt-Bradford had the momentum for the first time during the game.

Once again, it just wasn't to be for the Panthers on this night, as the Lions picked up where they left off in the first half by making shot after shot.

Late in the game, Pitt-Bradford reeled off several points in a row to bring the score to within a manageable deficit. After trailing by 20-plus points with only a few minutes remaining in the contest, the Panthers entered the final minute down by just 13.

Pitt-Bradford did what it could to mount a late comeback, but it was too little too late, as Penn State Behrend claimed the victory on its home court.

For the game, the Panthers shot just 38.8 percent from the floor, including 20 percent from three. They were a solid 16 of 20 from the line.

Penn State Behrend left the court shooting 56.4 percent, including 38.9 percent from behind the arc. The Lions were 18 of 24 from the charity stripe.  

With the defeat, the Panthers wrap up the 2013-14 campaign. Pitt-Bradford finishes the season as the fourth ranked team in the AMCC. The Panthers return to the hardwood in November in preparation for the 2014-15 season.