PITTSBURGH — On Friday night, Pitt fought Towson all the way to the end and came out on top, winning by a score of 63-59 at the Petersen Events Center.
With just over four minutes remaining in a low-scoring battle, Pitt trailed by three, and desperately needed a big bucket and some energy. With stars John Hugley and Femi Odukale struggling to make an impact, someone else needed to step up.
Noah Collier was that guy.
Collier, standing on the baseline, took a pass from Odukale, put the ball straight up through contact, and knocked down the and-one lay-up. He converted the free-throw, and tied things at 51.
A few possessions later, Collier threw down a loud slam dunk, once again tying it, this time at 53. Then, when the game was tied at 55, Collier stepped into the passing lane, stole the ball, and started a fast break, which resulted in an Odukale made three to give Pitt a lead it would not surrender the rest of the way.
Collier finished with 7 points on 3-for-3 shooting, and also grabbed 2 big rebounds.
In a game in which Pitt’s stars, Hugley and Odukale, combined for just 11 points, the supporting cast stepped up and led the way en route to the team’s second victory of the year.
Freshman guard Nate Santos delivered his best game of his young college career and led the Panthers in scoring, going 4 for 9 from the floor, 4 for 8 from three-point range, and finishing with a team-high 16 points. Santos also led the team in rebounding, grabbing 8 of the Panthers’ 36 total rebounds on the night.
Oakland transfer Dan Oladapo was once again one of Pitt’s most efficient scorers in this one, going 4 for 4 from the field and 3 for 4 from the free-throw line, finishing with 11 points.
In just his second game of the year, Jamarius Burton showed flashes of a smooth mid-range game, hitting four jumpers and finishing with nine points.
While there was no apparent injury during the game, Hugley played just 2:01 in the second half. He finished with seven points and five rebounds, all of which he picked up in the first half.
Towson was led by senior guard Cam Holden, who dropped 25 points on 9-for-15 shooting, as well as 3 for 6 from three-point land.
Pitt’s next game will be on Wednesday, Nov. 24, when it hosts Vanderbilt at the Petersen Events Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. on ACC Network.
