PITTSBURGH — After blowing an 11-point second-half lead, Pitt (3-6) used a go-ahead bucket by John Hugley to take down Colgate (4-6) at the Petersen Events Center on Thursday, snapping a four-game losing streak for the Panthers.
With just over 20 seconds remaining in a tie game, Pitt needed someone to step up and make a play. Especially after two-straight losses on the last possession of each game, the Panthers desperately needed a win.
For that, Jeff Capel looked to his big man, his star: John Hugley.
Hugley got the ball near the baseline, dribbled in, and finished an off-balance lay up for the lead, which Pitt would not surrender. The losing streak was over, and Pitt could breathe a sigh of relief.
Pitt led for the majority of the second half, opening up the frame with a 12-1 run. However, the Raiders, led by the hometown hero Cummings, stormed all the way back.
Trailing by three with just over three minutes remaining, Cummings snagged a steal, drew a foul, and hit two free throws to bring the Raiders within one. Next possession down? Cummings hits a lay-up. After that? Nails a jumper. In the game’s most intense moments, he scored six straight points for Colgate, giving the Raiders the lead with minutes to go.
With the win, Pitt (3-6) snaps a four-game losing streak dating back to its Nov. 12 loss to Vanderbilt.
After a quiet first half in which he scored just four points, Hugley woke up in the second half and took over inside. In that second half alone, Hugley scored 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting, and also grabbed 6 rebounds. Overall, he finished with 22 points and 7 rebounds in the win.
Guard Jamarius Burton scored his most points in a game in a Pitt uniform so far, finishing with 13 points for the Panthers on 5-for-13 shooting.
Femi Odukale returned from an ankle injury that sidelined him for the Virginia game, but did not look to be 100 healthy. Odukale finished with 3 points in 22 minutes.
Colgate featured a very balanced attack, with four players scoring in double figures. Cummings, the former local star, finished with 17 points, Ryan Moffatt added 11, Jeff Woodward scored 10, and Tucker Richardson contributed 12.
Pitt’s next game comes on Sunday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m., when it will take on Monmouth at the Petersen Events Center. That matchup will be televised on ACC Network as well as live on 93.7 The Fan.
