Pitt
1-0,0-0ACC
Radford
0-1,0-0Big South
Panthers Open Season with 40-Point Win Over Radford
11/4/2024 10:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PITTSBURGH – Pitt opened the season with an outstanding team effort as six Panthers scored in double figures in a 96-56 win over Radford Monday evening at the Petersen Events Center. Jaland Lowe finished with a game-high 21 points to go along with six rebounds, six assists, and three steals, while Ishmael Leggett posted a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds to pace the Panther attack.
Newcomer Cameron Corhen added 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, while Damian Dunn and Brandin Cummings each scored 11 points in the win. Guillermo Diaz Graham also had a strong effort with 10 points, nine rebounds, and two blocked shots.
Pitt shot 55.4 percent (36-of-65) from the field for the game, while also holding Radford to just 31 percent (18-of-58) shooting. The Panthers never trailed in the contest and really took control of the game after the opening six minutes of action.
Zack Austin hit a three-pointer to ignite a 9-2 run with Leggett scoring and pair of drives and Cummings finishing a fast break with a reverse lay-in to give the Panthers a 17-10 lead and force a Radford timeout with 11:34 remaining in the half.
The Panthers grabbed their first double-digit lead (35-25) at the 2:48 mark on a pair of Dunn free throws and extended the run to an 11-1 spurt following a tip dunk by Leggett and an off-balance pull-up in the lane from Dunn.
After a quiet effort from beyond the arc for most of the half, Cummings knocked down the first three of his career with 45 seconds left in the half and Lowe buried a deep three just before the halftime buzzer to send the Panthers into the break with a 45-27 lead.
Pitt held Radford without a field goal over the final 7:04 of the first half as the Highlanders went 0-of-7 from the field with three turnovers during the stretch. The starting backcourt paced the Panthers in the opening 20 minutes of action as Lowe posted 12 points, three rebounds, and four assists, while Leggett had 10 points and seven boards at the break.
Dunn and Guillermo Diaz Graham knocked down threes early in the second half and Lowe picked the pocket of a Highlander guard at midcourt before finishing at the rim to give the Panthers a 53-31 lead with 18:22 remaining and force another Radford timeout.
Pitt continued to pour in during the second half, making nine consecutive field goals and leading by as much as 33 before the under 12 media timeout. The Panthers pushed the lead to 92-54 with 3:00 remaining as Papa Amadou Kante scored his first career bucket to cap off a 16-2 run.
DEFENSE DELIVERS
Pitt held Radford to one field goal over the final seven minutes of each half outscoring the Highlanders 19-6 over the final seven minutes of the first half and 18-4 in the final seven minutes of the game. The Panthers scored 20 points off 14 Radford turnovers and had eight blocked shots in the game.
SECOND HALF SHOOTING
Pitt made 10 of its first 11 shots in the second half, including three three-pointers, en route to shooting 62.5 percent (20-of-32) from the field after intermission.
OWNING THE PAINT
The Panthers posted a 42-34 rebounding advantage and outscored Radford, 50-16, in points in the paint. Corhen and Guillermo Diaz Graham combined for 22 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks.
EXCELLENT ON THE BREAK
With Leggett and Lowe leading the way, Pitt had a 24-1 advantage in fast break points.
BIG NIGHT FOR THE BACKCOURT
Pitt's four-guard rotation of Cummings, Dunn, Leggett, and Lowe combined for 62 points, 17 rebounds, 14 assists, and seven steals in the win. The group went 22-of-38 (.579) from the field and 13-of-15 (.867) from the foul line on the night.
UP NEXT
Pitt returns to action Friday, Nov. 8 when it hosts Murray State at the Petersen Events Center (7 p.m. – ACC Network Extra).
