Corhen

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt men’s basketball team used a 14-3 run to close out the first half and never trailed again, defeating Youngstown State, 74-59, Monday night in the 2025-26 season opener at the Petersen Events Center.

The win marked Pitt’s fourth straight season-opening victory, while Youngstown State dropped to 0-1.

Youngstown State led throughout the early stages of the game, but the Panthers took their first lead of the contest at 20-19 on a Cameron Corhen three-point play. The Penguins answered right back with a 6-0 run, but Pitt turned up the defensive intensity and took control of the contest.

Youngstown State went just 1-of-7 shooting with three turnovers over the final 5:34 of the opening half and Pitt used that 14-3 run to take a 34-28 lead into the break. Corhen connected on a three-pointers that put the Panthers ahead for good at 30-28, while Damarco Minor closed the period with the final four points — two from the free-throw line and two on a contested baseline jumper.

In the second half, Pitt built the lead to double-digits, but Youngstown State trimmed the deficit to four at 54-50 thanks to a six-point run.

Nojus Indrusaitis followed with a pair of free-throws and then, after a Minor jumper, flushed one home to put Pitt back ahead by 10. YSU never threatened again, and the Panthers closed strong for the 15-point win.

Corhen finished the game with 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting and 12 rebounds for his fifth career double-double. He added two blocks and was 6-of-7 from the free-throw line.

Brandin Cummings added 18 points and two steals, while Indrusaitis finished with 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Papa Amadou Kante had a career-high 10 rebounds, five on the offensive glass, in 21 minutes off the bench.

For the game, Pitt outrebounded Youngstown State 46-24 and the Panthers grabbed 17 offensive rebounds. Pitt did have 18 turnovers but added nine steals on 12 Youngstown State miscues. The Panthers went 22-of-27 at the free-throw line while the Penguins were just 5-of-9.

Pitt hosts Longwood at 7 p.m. on Friday.

YOUNGSTOWN STATE (0-0): Carroll 7-12 1-2 18, Robinett 0-1 0-0 0, Rolf 2-5 1-2 6, Dawkins 1-6 0-0 2, Jas.Nelson 5-9 2-2 15, Blackshear 2-10 0-0 6, Polak 4-11 0-0 9, King 0-1 0-0 0, Zorgvol 1-1 1-3 3. Totals 22-56 5-9 59.

PITTSBURGH (0-0): Corhen 8-11 6-7 23, Siulepa 2-7 0-1 4, Cummings 4-8 8-11 18, Minor 2-5 4-4 8, Witherspoon 1-6 0-0 2, Amadou Kante 2-5 0-0 4, Indrusaitis 4-7 2-2 13, Dunning 0-3 2-2 2, Moore 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-53 22-27 74.

Halftime–Pittsburgh 34-28. 3-Point Goals–Youngstown State 10-33 (Jas.Nelson 3-5, Carroll 3-8, Blackshear 2-7, Rolf 1-3, Polak 1-6, Robinett 0-1, Dawkins 0-3), Pittsburgh 6-16 (Indrusaitis 3-5, Cummings 2-4, Corhen 1-1, Amadou Kante 0-1, Witherspoon 0-1, Dunning 0-2, Siulepa 0-2). Rebounds–Youngstown State 21 (Polak 5), Pittsburgh 42 (Corhen 12). Assists–Youngstown State 7 (Blackshear 3), Pittsburgh 11 (Minor 3). Total Fouls–Youngstown State 21, Pittsburgh 14.

SFU fades in 2nd half

NORMAN, Okla. — The Saint Francis men’s basketball team put a first-half scare into Oklahoma on Monday night in the season opener for both teams.

Saint Francis, behind big games from Skylar Wicks and Zion Russell, only trailed by one point, 45-44, at halftime.

However, the Sooners responded in the second half with a 32-3 run, after the Red Flash had scored four points to start the frame, en route to a 102-66 victory.

It was the head coaching debut for Luke McConnell forthe Red Flash.

Wicks finished with 20 points while Russell added 15 points as both players were making their Saint Francis debut.

Trailing 19-11, the Red Flash used an 11-3 run to tie the game at 22. Ralph Martino, Jr. started the run with a 3-pointer at the 13-minute mark before he hit a jumper at 10:51. Wicks drained a jumper of his own at 10:18. After a traditional 3-point play by the Sooners, Chris Moncrief and Zion Russell both scored in the lane to even the score at 22.

The two teams traded baskets before Oklahoma grabbed a 45-39 lead with 1:16 left in the first half. The Red Flash scored the final five points in the last 52 seconds of the frame on a Cam Tweedy layup and a Moncrief trey with 34 seconds left to trim the margin to 45-44 going into the locker room.

Saint Francis had a 6-2 run in the second half thanks to layups by Ahmad Harrison, Tweedy, and a jumper by Wicks.

Up next

Saint Francis returns to action on Thursday night at TCU, which is coached by Jamie Dixon. Game time is set for 8 p.m. on TNT.

SAINT FRANCIS (0-1): Liberis 1-4 0-2 3, Moncrief 3-6 0-0 7, Z.Russell 6-14 3-4 15, B.Russell 1-7 4-4 6, Wicks 9-19 0-0 20, Harrison 1-6 0-0 2, Tweedy 3-5 0-0 6, Martino 3-5 0-0 7, Payne 0-0 0-0 0, Swain 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-66 7-10 66.

OKLAHOMA (1-0): Davis 7-11 0-0 14, Reid 2-5 3-4 7, Wague 7-11 2-3 16, Brown 5-10 4-4 16, Pack 6-12 0-0 16, Nwankwo 3-6 2-3 8, Atak 7-11 0-0 18, Forsythe 2-4 1-2 6, Blair 0-0 1-2 1, Hansen 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 39-70 13-18 102.

Halftime–Oklahoma 45-44. 3-Point Goals–St. Francis 5-17 (Wicks 2-5, Martino 1-1, Moncrief 1-1, Liberis 1-3, B.Russell 0-2, Z.Russell 0-5), Oklahoma 11-30 (Atak 4-8, Pack 4-9, Brown 2-4, Forsythe 1-3, Davis 0-2, Nwankwo 0-2, Reid 0-2). Rebounds– Saint Francis 23 (Z.Russell, Wicks 5), Oklahoma 39 (Wague 10). Assists–Saint Francis 10 (Wicks 3), Oklahoma 23 (Brown 6). Total Fouls–Saints Francis 19, Oklahoma 11. A–6,476 (11,562).