PITTSBURGH — Pitt men’s basketball rolled off two wins to open the season against Mid-Major non-conference opponents as the Panthers continued that trend with the visiting Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs.
The Panthers led wire-to-wire to collect their third win of the season, 83-64, over the Runnin’ Bulldogs at the Petersen Events Center.
Senior guard Ishmael Leggett was a two-way factor for the Panthers, recording a game-high 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting, while adding three triples. He also tallied six rebounds and four assists.
Amsal Delalic, a 6-8 freshman wing from Bosnia, made his much-anticipated debut late in the first half. It wouldn’t be until later in the second half before he would add his first-career points on a triple from the wing.
Pitt shot 47 percent from the floor, added nine triples and out-rebounded the Runnin’ Bulldogs 41-39.
The Panthers opened the game hitting the first two baskets with Leggett burying a jumper and then subsequently feeding Cameron Corhen with an excellent pass between a wall of defenders as the big-man finished it with a dunk.
Pitt’s offense clicked early with Guillermo Diaz Graham adding a corner three to put the Panthers ahead quickly 7-2.
Much like in the Murray State win where he recorded 19 points, Dunn was an instant impact on offense, showcasing his ability to work around the basket with his physicality and play from mid range. The grad transfer drove into the paint, scored and drew a foul call on his way to completing the three-point play.
Dunn finished with 12 points, five assists and four rebounds.
Pitt extended its lead to 12 thanks to the incredible two-way play of Leggett as he anticipated a pass inside from the Runnin’ Bulldogs, picked it off and proceeded to run the length of the floor to finish with the lay-in.
Gardner-Webb, a team coming off the heels of an 88-82 win over NC Central, was limited in the early goings on offers, but connected on 3-pointers from Shahar Lazar and Darryl Simmons II. Simmons led Gardner-Webb with 12 points.
The Panthers have been a team this season filled with a variety of shooters that can hit from the outside and that remained the same with Lowe and Zack Austin knocking down triples for the outside.
Delalic checked in for the first time in his career at the 6:15 mark of the first half. Moments later, he recorded his first-career assist on a Corhen bucket that lifted Pitt to its largest lead of the game at 21.
From there, Pitt went cold from the floor as Gardner-Webb chipped away with a trio of buckets to close the half. The Panthers went into the locker room leading 38-23, but finished 0-for-9 from the floor.
Pitt kept the Runnin’ Bulldogs at length in the second half as Corhen continued his impressive play down low as he dropped in a lob pass from Lowe and followed that with a strong take to the hoop down the lane.
Any Gardner-Webb run that it managed to put together was quickly laid to rest buy the Panthers. After off six-straight Runnin’ Bulldog points, Austin sank a trey and extend the Panthers’ lead to 51-35.
Then, it was Diaz Graham that threw down an emphatic put-back slam to limit Gardner-Webb to a four-point run that brought it within 11 points.
That would be as close as it would get for Gardner-Webb as the Panthers poured it on in the latter stages with Diaz Graham throwing down an emphatic put-back slam and minutes later Austin adding his own showtime dunk off the alley-oop lob from Leggett.
Pitt continues its season-opening homestand with the Backyard Brawl against West Virginia on Friday. Tip is set for 8 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center.
