Roman Siulepa Leads Pitt in Blowout Win Over Penn State

The Pitt Panthers and Penn State Nittany Lions met for a basketball match for the first time since 2017, this time in Hershey, Pa. Going into the game, Penn State had a decent 8-3 record while Pitt was struggling at 6-6.

Pitt won their last game against Binghamton in a blowout, hitting 16 threes and scoring 103 points.

Pitt was able to continue their impressive three-point shooting against Penn State. While the team punished Binghamton for poor close-outs and leaving players wide open, the Panthers landed contested threes on the Nitanny Lions' defense.

first half 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 from three

📺 @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/p7P9TjaKRf
— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) December 21, 2025

First Half Dominance

Pitt took control from the jump. Omari Witherspoon, Barry Dunning Jr., Damarco Minor, and Roman Siulepa all got in the action of knocking down threes.

Just like in the game against Ohio State, Pitt's offense and defense started the game on point. Penn State ended the half with just 20 points, while Pitt had doubled its score with 40. This lead was much needed, as Pitt didn't start the second half nearly as well.

Second Half Struggles

Pitt started the second half with 40 points. Six minutes into the second half, Pitt had 41 points. This was while Penn State was starting to figure it out offensively, going on a 10-2 run.

Pitt got a little back on the right track with shots from Brandin Cummings and Damarco Minor, but it was Siuelpa who took over the game.

Siulepa scored 10 straight for the Panthers. He showed his versatility by knocking down threes and getting up to the basket, including a huge dunk. Siulepa ended the game with five three-pointers, more than he had made the entire season up to this point.

BLOCK @mar1Witherspoon
SLAM @roman_siulepa

📺 @BigTenNetwork

Roman has matched his career high with 20 (so far)‼️ pic.twitter.com/vgie7tWFeS
— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) December 21, 2025

After the run by Siulepa, the Panthers as a team were able to figure it out, while Penn State wasn't able to respond. Pitt matched their first half scoring with another 40 points, ending the game with an 80-46 win.

Key Players

The best player of the game was easily Roman Siulepa. Siulepa ended the game with 28 points, 62.5% shooting, 83% 3-point shooting, and three rebounds. The Australian is finally looking like the intriguing prospect that has impressed in overseas competition.

Dec 17, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Roman Siulepa (13) shoots the ball against the Binghamton Bearcats during the first half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Damarco Minor also had a great game. Minor had 11 points, four rebounds, seven assists, zero turnovers, two steals, and a block. For only being six feet tall, Minor continues to do all he can on the defensive end while also bringing reliable offense.

Freshman Omari Witherspoon tied his career high this game with 15 points, also adding on two blocks.

This could be seen as Pitt's best game of the season so far. The win over Ohio State was electric, but this game had the offense and defense in sync for most of it. It also showed the promise of the young players rather than relying on the older transfers.

Pitt's next game will be down in Miami on Dec. 30 to start ACC play.

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