Barry Dunning Jr. sank seven 3-pointers and scored a season-high 23 points while leading Pitt to an 84-50 nonconference win over Bucknell on Monday in Pittsburgh.
The South Alabama transfer shot 8 of 13 from the floor and went 7 of 11 from 3-point range. Dunning also grabbed seven rebounds as the Panthers (4-1) improved to 4-0 at home.
Cameron Corhen, Omari Witherspoon, Brandin Cummings and Nojus Indrusaitis all finished with 11 points for Pitt.
Bucknell (2-3) was led by Ruot Bijiek with 11 points.
The Panthers outscored the Bison 46-25 in the second half. Pitt ended up with shooting 50.8% (31 of 61) from the floor to 27.7% (13 of 47) for Bucknell.
The Panthers outrebounded the Bison 42-29, led by Papa Amadou Kante with 11.
The Panthers led 38-25 at halftime thanks in large part to 14 points from Dunning. He hit 5 of 7 attempts from the floor before the break, including 4 of 5 on 3-point tries.
Bijiek led the Bison with seven.
The Panthers surged ahead in the first half with a 12-0 run.
Witherspoon started the surge with a game-tying layup before Damarco Minor’s 3-pointer with 11:16 left in the half put Pitt on top for good.
Layups by Witherspoon and Dunning followed, and Dunning capped the run with a 3-pointer for a 21-11 edge.
The Bison fought back, however. Amon Dorries broke the streak with a free throw with 8:01 left, and Bijiek made the Panthers pay for a turnover with a 3-pointer that cut the margin to six.
The Panthers soon restore the gap to double figures. Dunning hit a 3-pointer and Corhen followed with a jumper to make it 28-17.
Witherspoon gave the Panthers a 13-point lead at the break by hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The Panthers stretched the lead to 30 with a 22-2 run to start the second half.
Cummings started the spree with a jumper, and Witherspoon hit a 3-pointer.
Cummings made two free throws and Corhen hit one before Brandon McCreesh responded for Bucknell with a layup. Cummings answered with another 3-pointer.
Rom Siulepa made it 51-27 with a dunk.
Dunning hit his fifth and sixth treys to give Pitt a 57-27 advantage with 14:23 left.
–Field Level Media
