Devils outlast Pitt-Bradford
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Men's basketball
(BOX SCORE: Fredonia State 84, Pitt-Bradford 79)
FREDONIA, N.Y. -- Fredonia State made 23 more freethrows than Pitt-Bradford in an 84-79 non-conference home win Monday at Dods Hall.
The Blue Devils were 35 of 54 from the line, compared to the Panthers' 12 of 25. The two teams combined for 56 personal fouls.
Fredonia State had five players score in double figures. Kyle Mitchell (Lake Luzerne/Hadley Luzerne) led the Blue Devil scoring with 17 points, including 11 of 16 from the line. Scott Valenta (Binghamton) had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Kevin Saunders (Batavia) was 11 of 12 from the foul line and finished with 13 points, Brad Cooper (Monticello) added 12 points, and Bryan Morse (Beacon) came off the bench for 11. In addition, Julius Bryant (Buffalo/Hutch Tech) grabbed 10 rebounds.
Zach Moore (Olean) led the Lions with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. Aaron Stang (Hamburg/Frontier) added 17 and Mike Ridge (North Tonawanda/Starpoint) added 15.
The Blue Devils improved to 5-1, while Pitt-Bradford fell to 2-3.
The Blue Devils' 5-1 start is their best the 1991-92 team opened the season with five straight wins, followed by a loss. That team then went on another five-game winning streak for a 10-1 start to a 22-9 season.
The outcome was also a victory for Fredonia State head coach Kevin Moore over his brother Andy, coach of Pitt-Bradford.
Fredonia State trailed at the start of the game, and only once more in the first half, en route to a 35-33 lead at halftime. Valenta scored 11 points in the first five minutes of the second half as the Blue Devils opened a 50-38 lead, their largest of the game, with 14:17 to play.
Pitt-Bradford trailed 80-69 with :38 seconds remaining, yet managed to get within 81-79 with :07 left. Stang had a pair of three-pointers -- the Lions were 7 of 14 from beyond the arc -- and Shawn Spindler (Bradford, Pa.) had two layups as part of a 10-1 run.
Fredonia State's Greg MacBride (Clifton Springs/Newark) made two free throws and Morse made one in the final seconds to put the game on ice.
The Blue Devils open the SUNYAC portion of their season when they travel to New Paltz for an 8 p.m. Friday game.