Pittsburgh Basketball has just one true road game on its non-conference schedule and that was against the Butler Bulldogs on Friday. Playing in Hinkle, the Panthers struggled early on, trailing basically the entire first half, losing by as many as as many as 12 near the half.
Yet similar to the team’s previous two wins, a dominant second half performance allowed Pittsburgh to eventually take the lead, with a 16-3 run laying the ground work to run past the Bulldogs to a 76-64 victory to move to 4-0 on the season.
some DAWGS took over Hinkle 🐶 🔊🤫🤫🤫 pic.twitter.com/Ih7DrxFmIS
— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) November 14, 2026
The second half effort has been a major key to the team’s success in the first two weeks of the season but what else contributed to the team’s win? Here’s a look at the biggest takeaways for the Panthers.
1. Jonathan Powell’s turn to be MVP
In four games, there has been four different scorers for the Panthers. Against Butler, it was Powell going for 17 points on 6/11 FG shooting, including a trio of made threes. More important, his defense has been the reason why the UNC transfer doesn’t come off the floor, playing a key part in Butler shooting just 5/31 (3/20 from deep) in the second half. While it woule be more ideal for Powell to get off to a quicker start on offense, his second half play has been outstanding for all four games.
2. Baye Ndongo at the five continutes to work against high-major opponents
Pitt has a unique issue on its hands. Freshman standout Chase Foster (15 points off the bench) is too good not to get 25+ mpg off the bench. But he and Ndongo as the frontcourt tandem has to balance the great offensive potential with the defensive and rebounding concerns. But in the 20 minutes when either Akir Souare and Armani Mighty weren’t on the floor, the duo worked well against the Bulldogs, similar to the work against Penn State. They only lost the rebounding battle by one, making it another successful outing for the frontcourt.
3. Jalil Bethea’s defenisve impact
Bethea is a former five-star prospect with an offensive reputation but so far, it’s been his work on the defensive end that has stood out. He made a couple of threes off the bench but also was crucial with his perimeter defense, playing 13 second half minutes and finishing with a game-high +23 on the game. While his offense hasn’t gotten fully going yet, the junior guard has still found a way to play a key role for the Panthers.
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