University of Pittsburgh Athletics
11/8/2026 12:34:00 PM | Men's Basketball
FINAL RECAP
Pitt pulled away from Penn State, 82-76, behind a second-half surge from A'lahn Sumler and a late push through foul trouble.
The Panthers found their footing late in the first half, closing on a 14-3 run fueled by three steals and a string of highlight-reel baskets, including a Powell alley-oop to Jalil Bethea and a dunk of his own. That run flipped a deficit into a 41-38 halftime lead.
Penn State answered early in the second half, taking a 49-48 lead with 15:25 to play. Sumler responded right away with a 3-pointer to retake the lead, and the Panthers never looked back.
Sumler finished with 24 points to carry the load while Pitt battled foul trouble. Nait George, Baye Ndongo, Akir Souare and Bethea all picked up multiple fouls.
The Nittany Lions made one last push, cutting the deficit to 77-74 with 38 seconds to go. Ndongo then fouled out with 19.4 seconds left, and Penn State cut it to 78-76 on the ensuing free throws, but Powell sealed the win with a steal and score.
Pitt shot 31-for-63 from the field and held Penn State to 21-for-50 shooting. Ndongo and Powell rounded out the double-digit scorers with 13 points apiece.
10+ for @jonathanp0well1 & @BayeAbdouNdong1 ?? JP with 11 points plus 1 rebound, 2 assists & 3 steals Baye with 11 points plus 8 rebounds, 4 assists & 1 block Pitt 75, PSU 68 (3:21 2nd) https://t.co/q4k6EVWfUz
— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) November 9, 2026
TOUGH TAKE @JalilBethea2 ?????? ?? ESPN2 https://t.co/TejxWcz8Sd https://t.co/E5DtXBA31g
— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) November 9, 2026
2H | 11:11
Sumler has stepped up for the Panthers, adding 13 points in the second half for a total of 21. He's making up for the absence of point guard Nait George, who is one of four Pitt players in foul trouble. Joining George are Ndongo (4), Souare (3) and Bethea (3).
The Panthers hold a 57-53 lead with 11:11 to go, but Penn State is hot on their heels. Both teams have scored 15 points this half. Dasonte Bowen leads the Nittany Lions with nine points.
HALFTIME
Pitt finished the half on a 14-3 run to take a 41-38 lead into the break. The stretch included three steals and a handful of highlight-reel baskets. Powell found Jalil Bethea for an alley-oop, then threw down a dunk of his own shortly after. He also had two of the three steals.
Powell and A'lahn Sumler lead the Panthers with eight points each, while Souare and Ndongo are right behind with seven apiece. Pitt is shooting 17-31 from the field and held Penn State to 11-25. The Panthers have also widened the rebounding gap, out-grabbing the Nittany Lions 18-13. Ndongo has the lion's share with six, while Chase Foster adds four.
???????? https://t.co/2lLBtBPSE0
— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) November 9, 2026
LOOK OUT BELOW ?? @jonathanp0well1 ?? @JalilBethea2 ?? ESPN2 https://t.co/TejxWcz8Sd https://t.co/gttZniVKef
— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) November 9, 2026
back & forth in Philly @BayeAbdouNdong1 has 6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists & 1 block https://t.co/TejxWczGHL https://t.co/3KEVQblKXB
— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) November 9, 2026
1H | 7:55
It's been a back-and-forth battle between the Panthers and Nittany Lions midway through the first half, with Penn State holding a narrow 27-26 lead.
Pitt's big men are leading the early load, as Baye Ndongo and Akir Souare have each contributed six points on perfect shooting. Nait George has also chipped in six points, while Jonathan Powell knocked down the Panthers' first 3-pointer of the game.
Both teams are shooting at least 50% from the field, but Pitt holds the edge at 58% (11-of-19). The Panthers also hold a narrow 9-8 advantage on the boards.
NICE FIND ?? @NaitGeorge ?? ESPN2 https://t.co/JkXI4x3cso
— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) November 9, 2026
STARTING 5
Pitt basketball tips off against Penn State at 8 p.m. Here are the starters for the Panthers:
G Nait George
G A'lahn Sumler
G Jonathan Powell
F Baye Ndongo
F Akir Souare
PRE-GAME
SCENES FROM THE PALESTRA
PREVIEW
Pitt Men's Basketball (2-0) heads to Philadelphia Sunday night to take on Penn State (2-0) in a historic rivalry matchup at The Palestra. The Panthers and Nittany Lions will meet for the 150th time as part of the iconic venue's 100th anniversary celebration. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
The Panthers enter the matchup following an 80-61 comeback victory over Buffalo on Thursday, overcoming a 15-point second-half deficit by outscoring the Bulls 48-16 after halftime. Baye Ndongo led the way with 23 points and a career-high 21 rebounds, recording just the 16th 20-point, 20-rebound game in program history.
Freshman Chase Foster has also made an immediate impact, becoming the first player in Pitt history to score 20 or more points in each of his first two collegiate games.
Penn State enters Sunday's contest undefeated after holding off Chattanooga, 97-93, on Thursday. The Nittany Lions lead the all-time series 76-73, but Pitt claimed an 80-46 victory in last season's meeting.
Fans can catch the action live on ESPN2 or listen on 93.7 The Fan.
Date: Nov. 8, 2026
Time: 8:00 p.m.
Location: Philadelphia, Pa. | The Palestra (8,722)
Television/Streaming: ESPN2 (Mike Corey | Time Welsh)
Panthers Radio Network: Flagship Coverage 93.7 The Fan (Bill Hillgrove | Curtis Aiken)
X/Instagram: @Pitt_Athletics | @Pitt_MBB
