Damarco Minor scored 23 points, including 16 in the second half, to lead host Pittsburgh to a 78-60 win over Longwood on Friday.
The Oregon State transfer hit 4 of 7 3-point shots as the Panthers (2-0) were able to hold off the scrappy Lancers (1-1) from the Big South Conference.
Brandin Cummings also had a big night for the Atlantic Coast Conference school with 19 points, hitting 5 of 8 3-point shots as the Panthers hit 40% of their 3-pointers (12-of-30).
The Lancers were led by Johan Nziemi with 16 points, including 10 of the Lancers first 12 points in the first half as they hung in until less than 10 minutes left in the game.
Jacoi Hutchinson also had 13 points and six assists for the Lancers.
Pittsburgh held Longwood to 31.9% shooting from the floor and 20% from 3-point range.
Cameron Corhen had 13 rebounds as the Panthers outrebounded the Lancers 48-35.
The Panthers struggled in the first half and clung to a 33-28 lead at the break.
Pittsburgh hit on only 34.8% (8 of 23) from the floor but hit 6 of 15 (40%) of their 3-point shots to hold the lead at halftime.
The Panthers also only made 11 of 19 free throws in the first 20 minutes while the Lancers made 85.7% of their free throws (6 of 7).
Longwood hit only 10 of 36 shots from the floor (27.8%) and were just 2-for-8 on 3-point attempts in the half.
Pittsburgh did not make a two-point basket in the first half after Roman Siulepa, who finished with 12 points, scored on a layup with 9:58 left in the half. The Panthers would not score on a two-point shot again until Corhen scored on a layup with 14:57 left in the game.
Minor hit a 3-pointer with 1:13 left to give Pittsburgh its largest lead of the first half at 33-23.
Alphonzo Billups III, however, followed Minor’s shot with a 3-pointer and Nziemi put back in an offensive rebound to cut the lead to five at the buzzer.
Siulepa led the Panthers with 10 points in the half, followed by Cummings with eight and Minor with seven.
Billups led the Lancers with eight and finished with 11 points in the game.
