Behind Cam Corhen's Double-Double, Pitt Cruises to Season-Opening Win Over Youngstown State
After two preseason exhibitions served as tune-ups, coach Jeff Capel’s retooled Pittsburgh Panthers finally played a game that counted at Petersen Events Center. Their opponent was Youngstown State from the Horizon League, a team predicted to finish fourth in the conference.
The Penguins started strong but fell behind midway through the second half, trailing by four points at one stage. However, Pitt surged ahead, led by Cam Corhen’s standout performance, clinching a 74-59 victory.
Cam Corhen’s Impactful Performance
Corhen was highly efficient, making 8 of 12 shots and finishing with a team-high 23 points and 12 rebounds.
“It’s great to get a win in our first game,” Capel said. “That’s a really good team that we beat, a team that’s going to have a chance to win their league. … I thought we settled into the game defensively, made things difficult for them and that got us going a little bit offensively.”
Supporting Contributors and Team Stats
- Brandin Cummings added 18 points
- Nojus Indrusaitis came off the bench to score 13 points
- Pitt shot 43.4% from the field (23 of 53)
- The Panthers dominated the boards, outrebounding Youngstown State 46-24
The team’s first basket was a 3-pointer by Cummings, cutting into Youngstown State’s early lead to bring the score to 7-3 about three minutes into the game. Despite trailing early with Youngstown State leading 14-6 on an Imanuel Zorgvol alley-oop with 14:31 left before halftime, Pitt gradually took control.
Game Context
Youngstown State came in as a strong opponent, making the victory promising for Pitt's season outlook.
Author’s summary: Pitt opened their season with a solid team effort highlighted by Cam Corhen’s double-double, securing a convincing win over a tough Youngstown State squad.