A’lahn Sumler scored 26 points to lead Pitt to an 82-76 win over Penn State in a nonconference game played in Philadelphia at the Palestra on Sunday.
The longtime in-state rivals met for the 150th time as part of the Palestra’s 100th anniversary celebration.
Baye Ndongo had 13 points and eight rebounds and Jonathan Powell added 13 points for Pitt (3-0), which forced 16 Penn State turnovers.
Sumler played 39 minutes, while Powell played all 40 and recorded a game-high five steals for Pitt.
Dasonte Bowen scored 17 points and Ivan Juric had 16 points and 13 rebounds in defeat for Penn State (2-1), which went 29 of 36 from the free-throw line and outrebounded Pitt, 37-28.
Holding a 70-66 lead, the Panthers extended their advantage to seven on Powell’s 3-pointer with 4:12 remaining.
Ndongo’s dunk gave Pitt a 77-69 lead with 1:56 remaining, but Josh Reed converted a steal into a layup to pull Penn State within 77-74 with 40.7 seconds left.
Naithan George split two free throws to put Pitt ahead 78-74 with 30.8 seconds remaining. Dasonte Bowen answered with two free throws to make it a two-point game, but Sumler sank two from the line with 13.2 seconds left to restore the four-point cushion.
Following a Penn State miss, Powell wrapped up the game with a steal and dunk in the dying seconds.
Midway through the second half, Pitt went on an 8-3 surge to take a 63-56 lead with 9:40 left in the game.
Leading 42-38 at halftime, Pitt increased its lead to seven at 48-41 with 17:17 remaining in the game before Penn State answered with an 8-0 run to take a 49-48 lead with 15:25 left.
Penn State held a 35-28 lead with 6:26 remaining in the first half after a 3-pointer by Brant Byers, but Pitt ended the half on a 14-3 run to take a 42-38 lead at halftime.