Pitt Falls to Villanova for 6th Loss of Season

After the Pitt Panthers suffered an embarrassing loss to Hofstra the game before, the team had almost a week off to prepare for their game against Villanova.

This was the Panthers' third road game of the season, the other two were double-digit losses to UCF and West Virginia.

The only victory against a top-tier conference team for Pitt this season was in a wild game against Ohio State. This game against Villanova was a chance to have a solid win over an old Big East rival.

Offense Continues to Struggle

Unsurprisingly, Pitt's offense didn't get much going this game, only putting up 61 points to Villanova's 79. The only time the Panthers won a game this season while scoring below 70 was when they scored 67 in the one-point victory over Ohio State. In most cases, scoring below 70 points isn't going to cut it.

The offense continued to use most of the shot clock and not look fully synced as a team. Pitt is decent at scoring in transition and can hit a tough shot every now and then. But the half court offense is what needs some serious work to stay in these games.

The standout player offensively for Pitt was forward Brandin Dunning Jr. Dunning went on an 8-0 run by himself when the Panthers were down by 12 early in the second half, which included knocking down two threes.

Guard Nojus Indrusatis also had a decent offensive game, having nine points by the end of the first half. However, he finished the game with 14 points and hit one 3-pointer on five attempts.

The whole team finished 5-for-22 on 3-point attempts.

Guard Bradin Cummings was coming off a 34-point game against Hofstra. He finished this game with six points on just two made baskets. Cummings only took eight shots in total.

Head Coach Jeff Cape — Nov 13, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Jeff Capel III argues a call after being issued a technical foul during the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Defense Not Much Better

If Pitt's offense isn't going to be their strong suit, the defense has to step up.

Villanova's Duke Brennan, who is averaging 12 points a game, finished with 24. Brennan scored a perfect 100% from the field and knocked down eight free throws. Most of his scoring came from taking advantage of mismatches and confusion from Pitt's defense.

Bryce Lindsay, Villanova's best scorer, also finished with 24 points.

One bright side on the defensive end is that Pitt won the rebounding battle 36-27. The Panthers grabbed 16 offensive rebounds to Villanova's seven. Center Cam Corhen led the team with seven rebounds as he continues to be a positive force on the glass.

Redshirt Watch

As backup center Papa Amadou Kante continues to be out with an injury, freshman center Kieran Mullen had playing time for the third game in a row.

While Mullen got very limited minutes in his previous playing time, likely to keep his redshirt status, he got nine minutes in this game.

The box score won't show it, but Mullen wasn't bad on the court for a freshman center. He had some good defensive stands and helped on offense with screening. If he continues to be a positive force for the Panthers, and Kante continues to be out, then we might see his redshirt burned.

The Panthers' next game will be against Binghamton at the Petersen Event Center.

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