66 - 41 
Panthers overwhelm inferior opponent.
Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Pitt struggled tonight from the outside in the early going, missing their first seven shots from behind the arc before Xavier Johnson hit one from the top of the key. Eric Hamilton impressed early with solid work on the glass and two nice finishes around the rim. At the ten minute mark of the first half, Pitt led 16-2.
After Pitt’s early surge, both teams settled down and traded baskets the rest of the half. The stars for Pitt were Johnson (9 points, 3-4 from deep, 4 assists, 0 turnovers) and Eric Hamilton (12 points, 8 rebounds). Beyond Johnson, the rest of the team was a combined 0-8 from long distance.
The second half was more of the same as Pitt’s talent started to take over. The Panthers improve to 4-2, while Pine Bluff remains winless at 0-5. They’ll have another crack at a Big 12 opponent when they take on Kansas State on Monday. Justin Champagnie led the way for Pitt with 18 points with Johnson adding 13 and Eric Hamilton 12. Markedric Bell for Pine Bluff led all scorers with 21. The key stat of the game was turnovers, where Pitt finished +16 (22-6). Grades and post game quotes to come tomorrow.
Hail to Pitt.
