Murray State came into the game with top-100 talent and metrics, making this not the typical "buy game" battle for Pittsburgh Basketball in the non-conference. Despite trailing by double figures early on, the Racers managed to come back and not only make it a game but take a second half lead.
However, between the backcourt's scoring and the team clamping MVC down in the second half, Pittsburgh was able to take an 18-2 run late to get the separation for an 83-68 victory to bump up the metrics in a game that was much closer than the final score suggests.
Here are some takeaways from the game.
1. Damian Dunn's big game
The transfer from Houston had a big opening few minutes, scoring 11 points early to give Pitt the lead. But he was quiet for 20 minutes in between when the game was in the balance. A 5-point swing from Dunn gave Pitt a lead they never let up, giving him 19 points on the night. Lowe and Leggett are already proven stars but if Dunn can continue giving the Panthers double-digits, they'll be in contention to win almost any game.
2. Jaland Lowe's impact on the court
When Pittsburgh was dominating Murray State earlier on, Lowe was on the court. But once he picked up his second foul, the Racers eventually returned and took the lead. Lowe played the entire second half and finished with a team-high 20 points and a game-high +23 on the floor. The Panthers need him to stay on the floor and control the offense because the offense struggled when he wasn't around.
3. Interior defense concerns
Murray State isn't a big team, with its frontcourt featuring 6'8 forwards. But in a four-guard lineup, they thrived in dribble penetration to the basket, especially when going up against Cam Corhen and Guillermo Diaz-Graham, who offered zero rim protection. The Racers got 28 points in the paint and only fell in the second half due to missing lots of three-point attempts.
It's a concern that GDG and Corhen couldn't stop the paint and against better frontcourts, could struggle. The one frontcourt player who did well as Zack Austin, who pulled down eight rebounds and blocked five shots. Even without him scoring, Austin could be a better option at the four-spot to give Pitt some defense inside.