Pittsburgh pulled off a gritty 82-76 win over Penn State at the Palestra Sunday night, and A’lahn Sumler was absolutely dialed in, dropping 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting. He even nailed two critical free throws with just 13.2 seconds left, sealing the deal in the 150th meeting between these in-state rivals. Talk about clutch.
Battle for Bragging Rights and an Undefeated Start
This wasn’t just any game, right? This was the 150th time these two went at it, a serious rivalry with a ton of history. Penn State still holds the overall series lead 76-74, but Pitt’s now won back-to-back, which has to feel good. And more importantly, the Panthers are still perfect, rocking a 3-0 record, while Penn State drops to 2-1. You gotta love seeing a team start hot out of the gate.
Baye Ndongo was a force for Pitt too, putting up 13 points, snagging eight rebounds, and dishing out four assists before fouling out in the closing seconds. He even slammed home a dunk that gave the Panthers an eight-point lead with less than two minutes to play. And don’t sleep on Jonathan Powell, the 6-foot-6 junior, who added 13 points and picked up a career-high five steals. That’s a serious defensive effort from a guy who only had 39 steals in 67 career games coming into this one.
Nittany Lions’ Late Surge Falls Short
Penn State definitely made it a game, though, pushing hard until the final buzzer. Dasonte Bowen led their scoring with 17 points, while Ivan Juric chipped in with 16 points and an impressive 13 rebounds. Roko Prkacin and Josh Reed both added 11 points and seven boards apiece, showing that balanced attack can be dangerous.
The Nittany Lions made a furious 7-1 run late, with Juric hitting a big 3-pointer, Reed following with a layup, and Bowen sinking two free throws with just 19 seconds left to cut Pitt’s lead to 78-76. You could feel the tension, right? But that’s as close as they got. It was a tough finish for Penn State, especially after they struggled from the field in the final five minutes of the first half, going 1 for 8, which allowed Pitt to close on a 14-3 run and take a 42-38 lead into halftime. This game was even more special since it was the second part of a doubleheader celebrating the Palestra’s 100th anniversary.
What’s next for these squads? Pitt hits the road to play Butler on Friday, looking to keep that undefeated run going. Penn State will host Mercyhurst on Thursday. Pitt’s got to stay focused if they want to keep building on this incredible start.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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