By Tyler Morello
Staff Writer
The College’s men’s basketball team came up just short of pulling off an incredible comeback in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 7, losing 98-96 against the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford.
The Lions had a tough draw facing the Panthers in the first round, as they won their respective conference while going 23-3. They had the conference player of the year in senior Jamarion Butler, who averaged over 20 points per game.
The Panthers also were known for their high-powered offense, averaging about 104 points per game throughout their season. In contrast, the Lions scored only over 100 points twice in their regular season.
The Panthers quickly got out to a 9-2 lead early in the first half. The Lions were able to punch back and get the game to 15-13, and then 24-18 with just under 12 minutes to go in the half. The Panthers followed with a 27-14 extended run to go up 51-32 late in the first half.
They put up a whopping 60 points in the half and led the College 60-43 at the half after a tip-in layup by senior Matthew Okorie to finish strong for the Lions.
The lead got back up to 19 in the second half and the Lions’ chances at a comeback seemed improbable at this point. They were down 66-47, but they outscored the Panthers 49-32 the rest of the way. They even pulled ahead by as many as three points with five minutes to go in the game.
Junior Nick Koch went on a heater for 26 points in the second half, scoring at will. Down 82-79, the Panthers answered back. They had a 10-2 run in the final minutes, which essentially sealed the game for them even with Koch scoring the final 14 straight points for the Lions.
Despite having an elite offense, the Panthers lacked the inside presence the Lions had, as they do not have a single rotation player listed over 6 feet 5 inches. The Lions took advantage of this as they outrebounded the Panthers 52-30.
Junior Matthew Solomon was a menace in the paint for the College, pouring in 21 points, snagging 22 rebounds and dishing out five assists. Koch finished with 32 on the day, and junior Jonathan Okocha had a career high 19 points with four threes. The Lions shot 48.4% from the field and 32% from beyond the arc in the game.
The College finishes another stellar season at 20-8 while going 12-6 in an extremely competitive conference. They also notched consecutive 20-win seasons, an impressive feat.
They have four of their players graduating this spring, but will get a lot of key contributors returning next season. Koch, Solomon and Okocha will all be back next year, as well as sophomore David Alexandre.
The Lions have much to be proud of for their 2024-25 campaign, and much to look forward to in a highly anticipated season next school year.
