Pitt Victory Over Penn State Showing They're Different From the Past

PHILADELPHIA — It's tough for an almost entirely new team to come together and play winning basketball, but the Pitt Panthers have done that so far this season.

Pitt came away with a big 82-76 win over Penn State at the Palestra on Nov. 8, overcoming adversity and then fending off a late rally.

It's a 3-0 start to the season for the Panthers, after a blowout win over the Rider Broncs, 95-57 on Nov. 2, and a fantastic second half in the 80-61 victory over the Buffalo Bulls on Nov. 9.

Pitt has shown over these past three games that they aren't the same team as last year or seasons past, and the victory over Penn State solidified that.

Panthers Overcoming Early Deficits and Staying Strong

The Rider win was by far the easiest for Pitt, as their other two victories were much more difficult and required serious adjustments and comebacks in each game.

Pitt fell behind 15 points in the early part of the second half against Buffalo, 47-32, but used great defense and a better offensive approach to outscore them 48-14 the rest of the way.

Nov 2, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Jalil Bethea (1) is fouled as he drives to the basket against Rider Broncs guard Khalil Farmer (right) during the second half at Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Panthers didn't have that big of a deficit against the Nittany Lions, but their in-state foe went on an 8-0 run and took a 35-28 lead with 5:15 left.

Pitt could've faltered and let Penn State grow their lead, but they stuck together, outscoring their rival 14-3 to take a 42-38 lead into halftime.

One player who made a big difference during that run was fifth-year guard A'lahn Sumler, who scored six points and took over as the leader of the Pitt offense, engineering the comeback.

"I say this every time, but I say our togetherness," Sumler said about how the Panthers have dealt with adversity so far. "Every time something goes bad, we get in a huddle, we huddle up. In the timeout, we always talk good to each other. It's boosting my morale. When we go out on the court, we've got that same confidence and that same energy to keep moving up."

It's a welcome sign for Pitt fans, who are generally used to collapses and disappointments from their men's basketball squad in recent seasons, to see a team stay strong and take on whatever challenge they face.

Pitt is Big, Big, Big

One of the biggest criticisms of Pitt head coach Jeff Capel during his long tenure with the program is his inability to find great big men and have them play a focal point of the offense.

The Panthers have mostly been a guard/forward driven team at their best under Capel, with the likes of Jamarius Burton, Nelly Cummings, Blake Hinson, Bub Carrington, Ish Leggett and Jaland Lowe having great success in the past few seasons.

Pitt went big in the transfer portal with senior forwards, 6-foot-11 Akir Souare (Syracuse) and 6-foot-9 Baye Ndongo (Georgia Tech), plus 6-foot-10 senior center Armani Mighty (Mercer) and 6-foot-9 freshman forward Chase Foster.

Nov 2, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Rider Broncs center Stephen Avegah Semey (33) shoots between Pittsburgh Panthers forward Baye Ndongo (11) and guard Naithan George (2) during the first half at Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ndongo has been excellent so far this season, averaging 16.0 points and 11.7 rebounds per game, and put up 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting and nine rebounds in the win over the Nittany Lions.

Capel noted Ndongo's hard play these past few games as a big point of emphasis for him this year, and shutting down the negativity he's received on his effort in recent seasons.

"When one of your better players is doing that, then it sends a message and an example," Capel said. "I've been impressed this season, especially in the games, with how hard Baye has played.

"That's something that we really tried to challenge him with because that's been a knock on him for three years that he doesn't play hard all the time where his motor isn't as high as it needs to be. He's really done that in the games. So that's been really cool to watch."

Souare has played a supporting role, but had the first six points of the game against Penn State, after scoring just five points in the first two games.

Mighty is a strong candidate off the bench and had a big dunk late vs. the Nittany Lions, especially with Ndongo in foul trouble.

Foster is incredibly promising, after breaking the freshman debut record with 23 points in the win over Rider, then added 20 more in the victory over Buffalo.

He had his issues against Penn State, with just six points and 2-for-8 shooting from the field, but scored those points late on and ensured a crucial win for the Panthers.

Pitt has four guys they can rely on to really make things tough for opposing teams down in the paint, while also scoring at the other end of the court, making their offense that much more versatile than in recent years.

Depth Showing Anyone on Pitt Can Step Up

The Panthers quickly ran into foul trouble against the Nittany Lions, which changed how they would normally play.

Pitt senior guard Naithan George picked up three fouls in the first half and then his fourth early in the second half, forcing him out of the game, while Ndongo got four fouls with 11 minutes remaining.

Sumler came through for the Panthers, taking over the point guard position and finishing with a season-high 26 points on 9-for-16 shooting from the field, 3-for-6 from 3-point range and 5-for-5 from the foul line.

Nov 2, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard A'lahn Sumler (3) handles the ball against Rider Broncs guard Mark Butler (10) during the first half at Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He looked cool, calm and collected, scoring 18 of those points in the second half, and showed that he can lead Pitt, even without George, the primary ball handler, sitting on the bench.

"Nate having four fouls in the first half, it got to the point where I knew I had to step up and be that point guard and then score," Sumler said. "Coach was trusting me. That's just how it came out."

The Panthers have strong forward/post depth, and both Foster and Mighty had solid showings, even when Ndongo went out.

Junior guard/forward Jonathan Powell played a big role for Pitt despite not having the best shooting night, with 13 points and a couple of big dunks, including the last one to finish the game off.

That athleticism was needed from Pitt, as junior guard Jalil Bethea had an emphatic alley-oop slam on the late first-half run and also converted an and-one opportunity in the second half.

Eight of the nine players who played for Pitt against Penn State scored, and Capel has a much deeper bench than he's had in recent years.

It makes the Panthers more dangerous, having multiple options off the bench, and keeps them competitive in games where some of their better players are in foul trouble.

Pitt is just three games in, but if they can build even more cohesiveness as a team, they could really challenge opponents with that depth.

Add us as a preferred source on Google