Freshman Brandin Cummings scored 30 points and Pitt enjoyed an offensively efficient second half to pull away for a 96-56 win over Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday in Pittsburgh.

The Panthers (9-2) were led by Cummings, who had already eclipsed his prior season scoring high with 17 points before intermission. Still, the Panthers led just 39-36 at halftime. In the second half, Pitt connected on 20 of 30 shots to steadily widen the gap.

Cummings, who connected on 6 of 8 3-point attempts, had plenty of help. Zack Austin posted 18 points while Ishmael Leggett added 17 points and six rebounds. Sophomore Jaland Lowe rallied from early foul trouble to tally 11 points and a career-best 12 assists.

Eastern Kentucky (5-5) played its best early in the game, going 6-for-12 from 3-point range in the first half to remain close. The Colonels dipped to 1-for-16 from long distance in the second half and shot just 23-for-70 overall (32.9 percent).

Eastern Kentucky was led by George Kimble III, who had 16 points due in large part to 4-of-7 3-point shooting. Jordan Crawford added a trio of 3-pointers en route to 13 points, while Devontae Blanton chipped in 11 points on just 5-for-17 shooting.

The Colonels took an early 9-6 lead, but fell behind as Cummings scored Pitt’s first 12 points. Despite the freshman’s heroics, the Panthers were unable to stretch the lead beyond six points in the first half, clinging to a three-point advantage at halftime.

Eastern Kentucky pulled within 44-40 on a Kimble trey with 16:36 to play, but Pitt then opened up a 29-4 run to take control over the next 8 1/2 minutes. Cummings made three of his 3-pointers in the run, which also featured an impressive alley-oop slam from Austin. The final total of 96 points tied Pitt’s season high.

The Panthers are off until Dec. 21, when they will host Sam Houston. Eastern Kentucky hosts Eastern Illinois on Saturday.

–Field Level Media