Ishmael Leggett scored 21 points and grabbed six rebounds to help propel Pitt to a stress-free 83-64 victory over Gardner-Webb on Monday in Pittsburgh.
Damian Dunn and Cameron Corhen added 12 points each as Pitt (3-0) led wire-to-wire to deliver Jeff Capel his 100th win as coach of the Panthers.
Guillermo Diaz-Graham powered for 10 points and nine rebounds while Zack Austin provided 10 points and four blocks for Pitt, which took advantage of its superior size inside.
Darryl Simmons II paced Gardner-Webb (1-2) with 12 points. Anthony Selden and Jamaine Mann added 10 points each for the Runnin’ Bulldogs, while Isaiah Richards had six points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
After Gardner-Webb made a program-record 70 percent of its field-goal attempts on Friday in a win over North Carolina Central, the Runnin’ Bulldogs made just 39.7 percent of their shots from the floor on Monday.
Before the game was five minutes old, Pitt opened a 14-2 lead, which Leggett started and finished with baskets in the paint. Diaz-Graham added a 3-pointer and Dunn followed with a three-point play to fuel the surge.
Midway through the half, Pitt began a 13-0 spree that included 3-pointers by Austin and Leggett. When Leggett finished the run with a fastbreak layup, the Panthers were on top 34-13.
Over the final 6:05 of the half, Pitt missed nine consecutive field-goal attempts against Gardner-Webb’s active 2-3 zone.
During the dry spell, the Runnin’ Bulldogs got 3-pointers from Ademide Badmus and Selden to cut a 21-point deficit to 38-23 at the break.
Gardner-Webb made some noise in the second half, slicing a 19-point gap to 11 as Brendan Mycalcio came off the bench and scored six quick points.
The Runnin’ Bulldogs made their run largely by hustling for offensive rebounds. A three-point play by Selden midway through the half made it 55-44, but Gardner-Webb got no closer the rest of the way.
Pitt put it away with a 14-1 run which was triggered by a tip-in dunk by Diaz-Graham and included a pair of treys by Leggett as the Panthers grabbed a 71-47 advantage with 4:38 left.
–Field Level Media
