PITTSBURGH – Freshman guard Brandin Cummings came off the bench to score a season-best 30 points and the Panthers used a 23-0 second half run to cruise to a 96-56 win over Eastern Kentucky, Wednesday evening at the Petersen Events Center. Zack Austin added 18 points, four rebounds, and three blocks as Pitt won its 12th consecutive home game, while improving to 9-2 (1-0 ACC) on the season.
Ishmael Leggett continued his strong play with 17 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while backcourt mate Jaland Lowe recorded a double-double with 11 points and a career-high 12 assists.
Cummings stepped up early and often in the contest as Lowe went to the bench in the opening minutes with a pair of fouls. The Midland, Pa., native scored the first 12 points of the game for the Panthers on three free throws and a trio of three-point field goals.
Leggett added a three-point play with 12 minutes remaining in the half to give Pitt a 15-9 lead and cap off a 9-0 run. The two teams began exchanging buckets over the next eight minutes with Leggett scoring on a fast break finish to give the Panthers a 30-26 lead with 4:26 remaining to force an Eastern Kentucky timeout.
The Colonels regained the lead at 34-32 on a backed in wing three from George Kimble III before Pitt closed the half on a 7-2 run to enter the break leading 39-36. Austin knocked in four free throws in the final minute of the half and Cummings added a layup through contact to provide the offense down the stretch.
Pitt shot 54.2 percent (13-of-24) from the field in the first half but were plagued by seven turnovers. Eastern Kentucky scored 14 second chance points in the half to stay connected with the Panthers.
Lowe completed a three-point play coming out of the under 16 media timeout in the second half to give Pitt a 48-40 lead. Cummings knocked down his fourth three of the night off a feed from Lowe at the 12:44 mark as the Panthers extended the lead to 11 points at 55-44.
Cummings drilled another three following an Austin block and Lowe scored the next five points to extend the run to 13-0. Cummings added another three in front of the Pitt bench to cap off a 23-0 run as Pitt blew open the game and grabbed a 73-44 lead with 8:21remaining. The Panthers held EKU scoreless from the 13:56 to the 7:55 mark of the second half.
Austin scored seven points during a 10-2 run before the under four media and the Panthers closed the game on a 10-0 run over the final 2:26 of play to post their third 40+ point win of the season.
Kimble III led EKU with 16 points and three steals with Jordan Crawford (13) and Devontae Blanton (11) also scoring in double figures. Austin had the primary defensive assignment on Blanton, who was held to just 5-of-17 shooting from the field.
BEEBAH BUCKETS
Cummings surpassed his career high with 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field, including 3-of-4 from three-point range, and 4-of-6 from the foul line, in the opening half. He recorded the sixth 30+ point game by as Pitt freshman, while also setting a school freshman record for points off the bench. Cummings was 10-of-13 from the field, including 6-of-8 from three-point range, and 4-of-6 from the foul line en route to a 30-point effort. His six three-point field goals is tied for the second most in a game by a Pitt freshman.
DOUBLE-DUB FOR JLOWE
Lowe recorded his second double-double of the season finishing with 11 points and a career-high 12 assists in just 24:40 of action. He had all 11 points and nine assists in the second half of play as Pitt scored 57 points after the break.
SECOND HALF EXPLOSION
Pitt shot 66.7 percent (20-of-30) from the field and scored a season-best 57 points in the second half of play. The Panthers also locked in defensively holding EKU to just 20 points on 21.1 percent (8-of-38) shooting from the field.
ON THE BREAK
The Panthers outscored EKU, 26-3, in fast break points, including a 16-0 margin in the second half of play.
BACK IN THE PAINT
Pitt finished with 44 points in the paint, tied for second most in a game this season and more than it scored in the previous two games combined. The Panthers had five dunks in the contest as well as a double of driving finishes from the guard trio of Leggett, Lowe, and Cummings.
UP NEXT
Pitt closes out non-conference play and the calendar year with a home game Saturday, Dec. 21 against Sam Houston (1 p.m.). The Panthers open the new year Wednesday, Jan. 1 at home versus California (2 p.m. – ACC Network).
