GREENSBURG, Pa. – La Roche men's basketball held off a late surge by Pitt-Greensburg, taking down the Bobcats 71-65 to extend its winning streak to 11 straight games.

The Redhawks stormed ahead in the opening 3:37 of play, taking a 9-2 lead out of the box.

However, UPG chipped away, countering with a 15-7 stretch that pulled the Bobcats in front, 17-16, at the midway point of the first half.

La Roche countered, using a 20-5 run to open its largest lead of the game thus far at 36-22 with 3:15 to play.

With 56 seconds left in the opening half, the Redhawks sat at a 16-point, 44-28 lead, but UPG would score the final five points as it was 44-33 going into the half.

Out of the break, La Roche continued to hold a double-digit lead that grew back to 16 with 17:12 to play.

The Bobcats put together a stretch of offense that put them right back in the game. The run of 11-0 began at 16:09 and lasted until 11:54 as the deficit was trimmed to 53-48.

The Redhawks fought to build the lead yet again, growing it to as many as nine points down the final 10 minutes of play, never allowing UPG to come any closer than six-points, until the Bobcats made it a 69-65 game with 45 seconds left.

After a La Roche turnover on the next possession, the Redhawks clamped down on defense forcing a missed shot and hit the free-throws needed to seal the victory.

For the game, La Roche finished going 29-for-64 (45.3%) from the floor and 8-for-24 (33.3%) from three. From the foul line, they capitalized on all five attempts.

On the other side, the Bobcats finished 26-for-70 (37.1%) from the field, 4-for-20 (20%) from deep, while going 9-for-14 (64.3%) from the foul line.

The Redhawks had three players end the night in double figures, with Joe Starzynski leading the way.

Starzynski secured a double-double with 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting, collected 10 rebounds, blocked five shots and had two steals.

Bryce Epps hit for 14 points to go alongside seven rebounds, two assists and a pair of blocks, while Michael Brooks netted 10 points, three rebounds and four assists.

La Roche returns home for the final home stand of the season, beginning on Saturday, Jan. 10 when Wells comes to the Kerr Fitness Center. Five seniors will be honored pregame and opening tip is set for 3 p.m.