Baye Ndongo went absolutely OFF for Pittsburgh last night, dropping an insane 23 points and 21 rebounds as the Panthers rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to beat Buffalo 80-61. This dude was everywhere, putting up the first 20-point, 20-rebound game for a Pitt player since Justin Champagnie pulled it off way back in December 2020. Yeah, you read that right. That’s how rare this kind of performance is, and Ndongo, a Georgia Tech transfer, just made it look easy.
Ndongo and the Panther’s Second Half Takeover
Ndongo wasn’t just scoring and grabbing boards, though he did nail 13 of 17 free throws and snagged two steals. He was the engine that flipped the whole game. Pitt was down 47-32 early in the second half, staring at a deep hole. But they didn’t blink. The Panthers just steadily chipped away at that lead. Jonathan Powell hit back-to-back 3-pointers to get them within one point, 53-52, and then Naithan George, who had a solid 16 points, seven assists, and two steals himself, sank two free throws to give Pitt their first lead of the entire half, 54-53, with under nine minutes left. Chase Foster was also huge with 20 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks. Buffalo’s Drew Steffe put up 15 points and J.J. Starling added 13, but it wasn’t enough.
From Deficit to Dominance: The Numbers Don’t Lie
Seriously, the second half was a clinic. Pittsburgh completely took over, outscoring Buffalo by a staggering 48-16 after the break. That’s not a typo. Forty-eight to sixteen! They also dominated the glass, outrebounding the Bulls 50-27 overall. When you put up numbers like that in the second half, you show exactly what kind of team you are. The Panthers are now 2-0, and after a performance like that, rallying from a big deficit with a historic individual effort and pure team grit, you gotta feel good about where they’re headed.
What’s next for Pittsburgh? They host Penn State this Sunday. You know they’ll be riding high after that comeback victory.
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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