Nov 15, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Jaland Lowe (15) dribbles the ball against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the first half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Pitt is hoping to see everyone get in on the action when it faces LSU on Friday afternoon as part of the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
The Panthers (5-0) have won their first five games for the first time since the 2018-19 season, most recently beating VMI 93-48 on Monday. Jaland Lowe supplied 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to record the sixth triple-double in program history for Pitt, and he is eager to keep getting his teammates involved.
“We need to move the ball in order for us to win and hit shots,” Lowe said. “Stuff wasn’t going our way really in the first half (against VMI), so we got back together to who we are, started moving the ball and started hitting some shots.”
In Tigers coach Matt McMahon’s eyes, Pitt should be ranked, a distinction it wouldn’t be worthy to claim had it not been for Lowe.
“I think the field is loaded in West Virginia. Pitt to me is a Top 25 team in the country and they have elite point guard play,” McMahon said. “Very experienced and so it’ll be a great test for us on the road.”
LSU (4-0) is perfect to start the 2024-25 campaign, too. The Tigers received 19 points on 9-of-14 shooting from freshman Vyctorius Miller in a 77-68 win over Charleston Southern on Tuesday, with Jordan Sears chipping in 15 points.
Sears (13.8 points per game) is one of four Tigers with a scoring average in double figures, joining Cam Carter (17.8), Dji Bailey (10.8) and Jalen Reed (10.3).
The Panthers have been even more balanced, with Ishmael Leggett (17.6 points per game), Damian Dunn (15.2), Lowe (13.6), Cameron Corhen (12.6) and Guillermo Diaz Graham (10.0) headlining the offensive attack.
Both Pitt and LSU are competing in the Mountain Division at the Greenbrier Tip-Off. Friday’s winner will face the victor of a meeting between Wisconsin and UCF in the event’s championship game on Sunday. The two losing teams will also play Sunday in the third-place game.
–Field Level Media
