PITT-BRADFORD MEN HEADED TO HAMPDEN-SYDNEY FOR NCAA TOURNAMENT

The Pitt-Bradford men's basketball team learned their destination and opponent for the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday. They will head to Hampden-Sydney, Virginia, where they will play The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in their opening game.

The Panthers return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2002-03 season after defeating Penn State-Altoona 92-90 in the AMCC Tournament Championship Game on Saturday. 

Pitt-Bradford has had a historic season, posting a 23-3 record, which ties the program's best mark since joining the NCAA in 1998. The Panthers went 14-2 in AMCC play and hosted the AMCC Tournament's last two rounds. They average 104.4 points per game, which ranks 3rd in all of NCAA Division III. Pitt-Bradford is also 2nd in free throws made per game (20.7), 2nd in free throw attempts per game (28.4) and 3rd in turnovers forced per game (23.35). 

Jamarion Butler led the AMCC this season, averaging 21.0 points per game. He was also 6th in rebounding at 7.3 per contest. Four other Panthers averaged double figures this season. Jeremy Rodriguez scored 17.5 points per game, while freshman Braylen Salters added 15.7. Jesse Laster finished with an average of 11.7 points per contest, while Xander Norris chipped in with 10.3 points per game. 

The Panthers' first round opponent will be the TCNJ Lions, who earned their spot in the tournament through an at-large bid. The Lions were 20-7 on the year, including a 12-6 mark in New Jersey Athletic Conference play. They finished fifth in conference play and picked up one conference tournament victory before falling to the eventual champions, Montclair State. This season, TCNJ averaged 81.5 points per game, while allowing 73.2 per contest. The Lions were led by junior Guard Nick Koch who averaged 21.0 points per game. Junior Matthew Solomon nearly averaged a double-double for the season, scoring 11.3 points per game while grabbing 9.3 rebounds. 

Hampden-Sydney College serves as the host for the pod as the top ranked team. They were 21-5 this season and went 14-2 in Old Dominion Athletic Conference Play. The Tigers finished tied for 2nd in the ODAC standings, but were upset by Lynchburg in the conference quarterfinal. Hampden Sydney is a battle tested and experienced team, as they were national runners-up in 2024, falling to Trine in the NCAA Championship last March. The Lions average 80.0 points per game and allow 69.2. This season they were led by 5th-year guard Adam Brazil, who scored 18.2 points per game. 

The final team in the regional pod is the Bryn Athyn Lions, the winners of the United East. The Lions went 20-8 this season, including a 15-1 mark in United East play. They were the number 1 seed in the conference tournament and defeated Wilson, Penn College, and Notre Dame of Maryland on their way to the tournament title. Bryn Athyn scored 72.3 points per game and allowed 70.6. The Lions' leading scorer this season was junior guard Will Little, who scored 14.0 per game. 

The first round will begin on Friday, Mar. 7th. Pitt-Bradford will take on TCNJ at 4:10 p.m. in Hampden-Sydney's Kirby Fieldhouse. The winner will take on the victor of Hampden-Sydney and Bryn Athyn on Saturday. 

The full NCAA Championship Tournament bracket, as well as links for live stream and statistics can be found on the NCAA website, here.