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PHILADELPHIA -- A'lahn Sumler scored 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting and hit two free throws with 13.2 seconds left Sunday night to help Pittsburgh beat Penn State, 82-76, at The Palestra in the 150th meeting between the in-state rivals.
Sumler, a transfer from Charleston Southern, had scored 17 points combined in Pitt's first two games.
The Panthers have now won back-to-back games against Penn State, which leads the series 76-74.
Baye Ndongo fouled out in the closing seconds with 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists for Pitt (3-0), and Jonathan Powell added 13 points and a career-high five steals. Powell, a 6-foot-6 junior, went into the game with 39 career steals in 67 games.
Dasonte Bowen scored 17 points, and Ivan Juric had 16 points and 13 rebounds for Penn State (2-1). Roko Prkacin and Josh Reed and 11 points and seven rebounds apiece.
Ndongo threw down a dunk that gave the Panthers and eight-point lead with 1:56 to play. Juric made a 3-pointer with 46 seconds left, Reed followed with a layup and Brown made two free throws with 19 seconds remaining that capped a 7-1 run and made it 78-76, but the Nittany Lions got no closer.
Penn State went 1-for-8 from the field over the final 5 minutes of the first half as the Panthers closed on a 14-3 run to take a 42-38 lead.
The game was the second of a doubleheader as part of a celebration for The Palestra's 100th anniversary. Richmond beat Temple 79-53 in the first game.
Up next
Penn State: Hosts Mercyhurst on Thursday.
Pitt: Plays Friday at Butler.
PITTSBURGH (3-0): Ndongo 6-9 1-2 13, Souare 3-4 1-2 7, George 3-6 1-2 7, Sumler 9-16 5-5 26, Powell 5-15 1-3 13, Foster 2-8 2-3 6, Bethea 2-3 3-3 7, Mighty 1-2 1-2 3, Moore 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-63 15-22 82.
PENN STATE (2-1): Jurić 3-8 9-10 16, Prkačin 4-6 3-4 11, Reed 4-11 3-4 11, Allard 0-3 0-0 0, Bowen 5-8 6-6 17, Byers 2-7 3-4 9, Wibaut 2-5 5-8 9, Rodgers 1-2 0-0 3, Oboh 0-0 0-0 0, Grodin 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-50 29-36 76.
Halftime--Pittsburgh 42-38. 3-Point Goals--Pittsburgh 5-18 (Sumler 3-6, Powell 2-7, Bethea 0-1, George 0-1, Foster 0-3), Penn State 5-15 (Byers 2-6, Bowen 1-1, Jurić 1-1, Rodgers 1-1, Wibaut 0-1, Reed 0-2, Allard 0-3). Fouled Out--Ndongo. Rebounds--Pittsburgh 24 (Ndongo 8), Penn State 34 (Jurić 13). Assists--Pittsburgh 14 (Ndongo, Sumler 4), Penn State 8 (Prkačin, Bowen, Rodgers 2). Total Fouls--Pittsburgh 24, Penn State 26.