Pitt took down Radford last night in dominant fashion, winning 96-56 at the Petersen Events Center.
Ken Pomeroy’s analytics seemed to like Pitt’s performance. After the win, Pitt jumped from No. 37 to No. 32 in Kenpom’s rankings.
Check out the full rankings here.
Takeaways: Jaland Lowe Records Career Night in Pitt Opener
Ishmael Leggett and Jaland Lowe finished as Pitt’s two leading scorers, finishing with 19 and 21 points, respectively. Lowe set a new career high in scoring with the performance. Dunn and Corhen followed behind, scoring 11 and 12 points. Guillermo Diaz Graham added ten, and the rookie, Brandin “Beebah” Cummings, scored 11. Leggett posted a double-double, finishing with a team-best 12 rebounds.
As a team, Pitt shot 55% from the field and 35% from three-point range.
12 different players scored for Darris Nichols’ Radford squad in the loss. TJ NeSmith led the way on an efficient scoring night, while Zion Walker, Brandon Maclin, and Ibu Yamazaki followed behind.
Pitt emptied the bench in the win, and redshirt freshman Papa Amadou Kante earned his first minutes and points in a Pitt uniform. Kante scored four in the win. In addition, freshman Amdy Ndiaye scored two points in the final seconds.
With the win, Pitt advances to 1-0 on the season. The Panthers will have a few days to rest and prepare for their next game, which comes on Friday against Murray State. That game will tip off at 7 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center on Friday, Nov. 8.
Stay tuned on Pittsburgh Sports Now for season-long coverage of all three local basketball programs: Pitt, Duquesne, and Robert Morris. On Tuesday night, Pitt’s women’s team will open its season.
We were a top 25 team last season. Ridiculous tournament selection system screwed us. H2P! Another excellent season ahead.