When wins are hard to come by, there’s one mantra:

Just find a way to win.

Any way will do. But just find a way.

On seven occasions this season, Pitt has failed to do that. But on Tuesday afternoon, in a rare 2 pm midweek game while hosting Jacksonville, the Panthers did it, beating the Dolphins 64-55.

This time, the key to the win was one of Pitt’s best stretches all season. After leading the entire first half, the Panthers fell behind 32-28 three and a half minutes into the second period.

But then Jeff Capel’s group did something it hadn’t done very often in the first 11 games: they took over the game.

Over the next eight minutes, Pitt was completely in control, making 9-of-12 field goals and giving up very little to use a 22-3 run that turned a four-point deficit into a 15-point advantage. The key to that run was Femi Odukale, the sophomore point guard who put up the best performance of his career on Tuesday afternoon. Odukale scored 12 points in that eight-minute stretch and finished with 28 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 5-of-7 from three.

Odukale tied his career high in points and set new career marks in made field goals and three-point baskets. He also scored 28 in last season’s loss to Miami.

The run in the second half was needed because Pitt went cold in the first half. The Panthers took the lead early on a three by Jamarius Burton and pushed their advantage to 10 points at 18-8, but then their offense left the building. Pitt made just three baskets over the final 10 minutes of the half and wasn’t able to offset that lack of scoring with free throws, as the Panthers didn’t attempt a single shot from the line before halftime.

But with Odukale scoring 17 in the second half and Mo Gueye adding 10 after halftime, the Panthers pulled away to get a pre-Christmas win. Gueye finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. Burton added 12 and John Hugley chipped in eight after being held scoreless run the first half.

Odukale, Burton, Gueye and Hugley scored 63 of Pitt’s 64 points. Backup guard Onyebuchi Ezeakudo scored the Panthers’ other point on a free throw.

Pitt (5-7) will be off until next Tuesday when the Panthers host Notre Dame for 8 pm tip.