PITTSBURGH — Plenty of the numbers from Pittsburgh’s breezy 99-80 victory over Gardner-Webb looked pretty.

And none of them mattered to coach Kevin Stallings. Sure shooting 54 percent and never being challenged on Monday night was nice, especially three days after needing double-overtime to hold off Eastern Michigan in Stallings’ coaching debut with the Panthers. Yet Stallings is more concerned about whether his team is ready for a far sterner test on Thursday against SMU at Madison Square Garden in the 2K Classic.

“You look at our defensive numbers, they were indicative of a team that was not really wired into play,” he said. “That’s my fault. That’s my job.”

Cameron Johnson scored 18 points and made all four of his 3-point attempts for Pitt (2-0). Michael Young put up 18 points and seven rebounds in 15 minutes after being held out of the starting lineup for only the second time in his career due to a minor violation of team rules. Sheldon Jeter added 14 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

Still, the Panthers led the Runnin’ Bulldogs trade baskets early in the first half and for long stretches in the second. Stallings wonders if his players are getting a little too caught up in the free-flowing offense Stallings brought with him from Vanderbilt.

“Maybe I’ve sent the wrong message about tempo and offense and things like that,” Stallings said. “We’re not ready to beat anybody that’s equivalent to us in terms of talent because we don’t sustain any type of defensive intensity.”

At one point in the first half, Stallings pulled the entire starting five off the floor in frustration.

“I think he just wanted more effort and energy,” Johnson said. “He cited a lack of focus for that.”

Not that much was required over the final 30 minutes.