Pitt
15-10,6-8ACC
Miami
6-19,2-12ACC
Leggett Leads Panthers to 74-65 Win Over Miami
2/15/2025 3:46:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PITTSBURGH – Ishmael Leggett filled the stat sheet with a game-high 21 points to go along with 10 rebounds, five assists, and four steals to lead Pitt to a 74-65 win over Miami Saturday afternoon at the Petersen Events Center.
The Panthers also got key contributions throughout the rotation, while playing without leading scorer Jaland Lowe. Freshman Amsal Delalic finished with a season-high 14 points, while fellow first year standout Brandin Cummings added 11 points, three rebounds, and four assists.
Pitt dominated the interior with a 40-33 rebounding advantage and a 34-20 edge in points in the paint. Cameron Corhen finished with 17 points and eight rebounds with Zack Austin adding 11 points and 10 boards.
Austin also did an outstanding job defensively holding Miami leading scorer Matthew Cleveland to just eight points on 4-of-16 shooting from the field. Cleveland entered the contest averaging nearly 17 points per game and was averaging over 25 points per game over the previous five contests.
Delalic gave the Panthers a 32-30 lead at the break with a three-point field goal just before the halftime buzzer in a back-and-forth opening 20 minutes of action. Miami made three consecutive threes during a 9-0 run to grab a 21-13 lead with 8:10 left in the opening stanza.
Pitt countered with a 7-0 run over the next 2:16 and tied the contest at 27 on a Leggett three off a terrific find from Cummings at the 1:34 mark. Miami answered with their sixth three of the half before Pitt ended the half on a 5-0 run with a Leggett finish in the lane and the Delalic deep ball.
Leggett led the way for the Panthers with 15 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals in the opening half, while Corhen added eight points and Delalic came off the bench for a seven-point effort.
Austin hit a three early in the second half to extend the lead to five and Pitt's defense locked in to stifle the Miami attack.
The Panthers pulled to a 51-43 lead with just under 11 minutes remaining on a Cummings wing three and grabbed a double-digit lead on a pair of Leggett free throws with 9:55 remaining.
Delalic and Corhen scored on consecutive possessions to give the Panthers a 57-45 lead with 6:52 remaining. After Miami had trimmed the deficit back to eight points, Delalic scored on a step-through scoop shot high off the glass from the right block with 5:09 remaining.
Miami battled back with four free throws from Lynn Kidd but Delalic again had the answer for the Panthers. Pitt broke the Hurricane press and Cummings found Delalic open on the left wing. The Bosnian guard knocked down his second three of the day to push the margin to 62-53 with 3:15 remaining.
Cummings missed the front end of a one-and-one following a Miami three but came up with a block of Cleveland on the other end and knocked down a pair of free throws with 2:27 remaining to extend the lead.
Austin made a series of winning plays in the final two minutes with a key offensive rebound, two free throws, a blocked shot, and a driving assist to Corhen to maintain momentum for the Panthers.
Pitt went 6-of-6 from the foul line in the final 49 seconds to seal the win and improve to 15-10 overall and 6-8 in the ACC. The Panthers, ranked ninth in the NCAA in free throw percentage, went 18-of-24 (.750) from the line, including a 15-of-19 (.789) effort in the second half.
Kidd led Miami (6-19, 2-12 ACC) with 16 points and 15 rebounds, while A.J. Staton-McCray added 13 points off the bench.
STAT STUFFER
Leggett became just the eighth Panther since the 1986-87 season to post at least 20-points, 10-rebounds, and 5-assists in a game. He was 6-of-11 from the field, including 2-of-2 from three, and 7-of-7 from the line in nearly 39 minutes of action.
Leggett posted his third double-double and second 20-10 effort of the season.
NEW LINEUP WITH LOWE & DUNN OUT
Pitt used its sixth different starting lineup of the season as Brandin Cummings made his second start with Jaland Lowe (concussion protocol) and Damian Dunn (left elbow fracture) sidelined due to injury.
Cummings and fellow freshman Delalic combined for 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists in the win.
READY WHEN CALLED UPON
Delalic scored in double-figures for the first time as a Panther with 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field. He scored seven points during a 4:19 stretch (7:34-3:15) in the second half.
UP NEXT
The Panthers host Syracuse Tuesday, Feb. 18 in a 7 p.m. tipoff from the Petersen Events Center. Pitt topped the Orange, 77-73, in the first meeting between to the two schools this season as Jaland Lowe had 22 points and six assists, while Ishmael Leggett added 16 points, six rebounds, and two steals.
