Brooklyn, NY – Despite a last minute run, the Patriots came up short against ACAA opponent Pratt Institute on Saturday afternoon.

Matthew Altamirano led the Patriots in scoring with 25 points, collecting 8 boards and 3 assists. Derian Bradford dished out 17 points, 9 boards, and 5 assists, while Owen Bradford tallied 11 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals. Aaron Hill notched an additional 13 points with 6 rebounds.

"I am really proud of the way we battled," head coach DJ Damazo shared. "We did not play particularly well offensively or defensively, but played with great energy throughout the game. We got off to a really slow start but we were able to fight back until the very end. All in all, I'm pleased with the way we competed and how we gave ourselves a chance to win even when we weren't at our best."

Although the Patriots found themselves on the scoreboard first with a layup from Altamirano, the Cannoneers would take and remain with the lead throughout the first-half. Pratt took a 12-point lead with less than 5 minutes remaining, but Valley Forge fought back to come within 4 points after a Derian Bradford three ball and a layup from Matthew Altamirano.

Trailing 39-35, the Patriots tied the contest 48-48 after a 9-4 run. Within the next four minutes, the score would be tied 4 times with the lead changing 7 different times. With each team sitting at 60 apiece, the Cannoneers claimed the lead once again. However, down 7 points, the Patriots chipped Pratt's lead to only 4 with 28 seconds left. Matthew Altamirano tallied a quick layup to come within a single possession but time would run out in favor of the Cannoneers for a 80-78 final score.

Down the stretch, Pratt shot 47.2% from the field (17-22), and 50% from the charity stripe (4-8).

As a team, the Patriots went 31-74 from the field (41.9%), 8-24 from behind the arc (33.3%), and 8-18 from the line (44.4%).

Valley Forge will host the Nittany Lions of Penn State Brandywine on Tuesday, February 11^th for a 7 p.m. tip-off.