PITTSBURGH – The Pitt Panthers defeated the University of Canisius 78-36 in its season opener behind a double-double by graduate transfer Khadija Faye Tuesday night at the Petersen Events Center. The 42-point win marks Tory Verdi‘s largest margin of victory since becoming head coach in 2023.
Faye opened the season scoring a career-high 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting to go with 12 rebounds (six offensive). Junior guard Aislin Malcolm added offense off the bench, scoring 11 in 16 minutes of action. Kentucky transfer Amiya Jenkins added 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting.
Pitt’s stifling defense forced 35 Canisius turnovers, which marks the most turnovers the Panthers have forced an opponent to commit since at least 2010. Pitt scored 39 points off the Griffins’ turnovers, while grabbing 14 steals to go with five blocks.
The Panthers shot 43.8 percent (28-of-64) from the field and 15.4 percent (2-of-13) from behind the arc. Pitt converted on 20-of-30 free throws, with Faye hitting 8-of-11. Pitt outrebounded Canisius 43-27, including winning 17-3 on the offensive boards.
How It Happened
Junior guard Marley Washenitz led the new-look Panthers out of the gate, scoring six points and grabbing two steals within the first three minutes of the season. Faye provided interior offense early, scoring 10 and grabbing three offensive rebounds in the first quarter. Pitt closed the quarter on a 13-2 run, capped off by a Malcolm buzzer-beater three pointer, to lead 27-10.
In the second quarter, the stout Panthers defense forced Canisius into a 4:22 scoring drought where they forced four Griffin turnovers. Seven different Panthers scored in the frame including Malcolm, who scored four points on 2-for-2 shooting. Pitt carried momentum into halftime behind a buzzer-beating turnaround jump shot by Washenitz to give Pitt a 43-16 lead at halftime.
Pitt’s energy shifted into the second half, where its press forced an immediate Griffin turnover and timeout seven seconds into the third quarter. The play sparked an 8-0 Panthers run over a 4:18 stretch where they forced four Canisius turnovers and held the Griffins to 0-for-5 shooting. Faye scored seven in the frame and grabbed four rebounds.
The Panthers outscored Canisius 21-12 in the fourth quarter to close out the contest. Faye scored eight in the quarter to reach a new career high. Pitt shot 8-for-11 from the free throw line in the frame.
Game Notes
- Khadija Faye scored a career-high 25 points. Her previous high was 22 points on Nov. 11, 2021, against Texas St. while she played at Texas Tech.
- Faye had the seventh double-double of her career.
- Pitt’s 35 forced turnovers is the most since at least 2010.
- The 42-point win is the largest margin of victory since Tory Verdi became head coach
Up Next
Pitt remains at home to face Bucknell on Saturday, November 9th at 1 p.m. The game will be streamed on ACCNX.
