John Hugley scored 18 of his game-high 22 points in the second half, including a game-winning layup with 19 seconds left, to lead Pitt to a 71-68 victory over visiting Colgate in a nonconference game on Thursday.
Hughley shot 8-for-13 from the floor and added a game-high seven rebounds, while Jamarius Burton added 13 points and five rebounds for Pitt (3-6), which ended a four-game losing streak.
Colgate (4-6) had four players score in double figures, led by Nelly Cummings’ 17 points. Tucker Richardson had 12 points and five rebounds, Ryan Moffatt added 11 points and six rebounds and Jeff Woodward chipped in 10 points.
Pitt tried to take control of the game by opening the second half on a 16-3 run led by Hugley’s dunk and two free throws, to take a 47-36 lead on Burton’s two free throws with 14:20 left in the first half.
Colgate responded with a 9-0 run and later tied the game at 64 on Cummings’ jumper with 2:36 left. After Hugley missed a shot on Pitt’s ensuing possession, Cummings hit another jumper to give the Raiders a 66-64 lead with 1:54 left.
Pitt tied the game at 68 on Mouhamadou Gueye’s three-point play with 51 seconds left. Gueye finished with 10 points and six rebounds.
After Cummings missed a 3-pointer with 41 seconds remaining, Pitt called timeout. The Panthers worked the ball to Hugley, who spun near the baseline and made a driving layup in traffic for a 70-68 lead.
Cummings’ baseline jumper was blocked by Femi Odukale with two seconds left, forcing Colgate to foul. Jeffress made a free throw for the final margin.
Pittsburgh shot 43.6 percent (24-for-55) from the field, including 26.7 percent (4-for-15) from the 3-point line. The Panthers outrebounded the Raiders 35-28 and forced 12 turnovers they converted into 13 points.
Colgate, which has lost four of its past five games, shot 41.5 percent (22-for-53) from the field, including 26.1 percent (6-for-23) from beyond the arc.
–Field Level Media