Pitt Defeats VMI Behind Jaland Lowe's Triple-Double

Pitt Panthers defeated VMI behind Jaland Lowe's triple-double.

Nov 18, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Guillermo Diaz Graham (25) steals the ball from Virginia Military Keydets forward Kaden Stuckey (6) during the first half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers blew out VMI, 93-48, at the Petersen Events Center to finish their first homestand of the season undefeated.

Pitt is 5-0 with the victory, their best start since the 2018-19 season, the first campaign for head coach Jeff Capel.

They blewout Radford in the season opener on Nov. 4, 96-56, outlasted Murray State on Nov. 8, 83-68, dominated Gardner-Webb on Nov. 11, 83-64, and obliterated rival West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl in their last matchup on Nov. 15, 86-62, with all game coming at the Petersen Events Center.

The Panthers also improve to 3-0 over the Keydets (4-2), who they also defeated in 2011, 97-70, and 2018, 94-55.

Pitt started out with a 10-0 lead and increased it to 19-6 midway through the first half. Junior forward Cam Corhen led Pitt with 10 points on four shots in the paint and two free throws, while senior guard Ishmael Leggett added six points on two layups and a mid-range jumper.

The Panthers then struggled to get anything going offensively, as the Keydets went on a 12-2 run, with four different scorers, cutting the deficit to 21-18 with 5:56 remaining.

Pitt would finish the first half off with an 18-2 run, as VMI shot 0-for-10 from the field, to take a 39-20 lead into halftime.

Guards in graduate student Damian Dunn led the way with five points on a 3-pointer and two free throws and sophomore Jaland Lowe added four points made a layup and two free throws.

The Panthers continued their strong offensive play into the second half, opening on a 12-2 run. Leggett and Guillermo Diaz Graham each made a dunk and a 3-pointer during this run.

Pitt would extend their lead to more than 40 points, which allowed them to bring on players off the bench and give them important minutes.

This included freshman guards in Brandin "Beebah" Cummings and Amsal Delalić and forwards in freshman Amdy Ndiaye, redshirt freshman Papa Amaado Kante and Marlon Barnes Jr. and junior Jorge Diaz Graham.

The Panthers had all five starters in Dunn, Leggett, Lowe, Guillermo Diaz Graham and Corhen all score in double-digits against the Keydets. It is the second time they've done it, since the season opener vs. Radford.

Lowe would finish with a triple-double, scoring 11 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out 11 assists in the win vs. VMI. This is the first triple-double of his collegiate career.

Pitt will travel for the first time this weekend, as they to White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. to play in the Greenbrier Tip-Off. They'll face LSU on Nov. 22 at 2:30 p.m. and either No. 19 Wisconsin or UCF (received votes) on Nov. 24.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

• Pitt LB Suffers Season-Ending Injury
• Pitt Earns Votes in Latest AP Poll
• Pitt Men's Soccer Earns Top NCAA Tournament Seed
• Pitt vs. Boston College Kickoff, TV Channel Announced
• Preview: Pitt Finishes Home Stand With VMI

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt