PITTSBURGH (AP) Julius Pegues, the first Black basketball player at the University of Pittsburgh, has died following a battle with cancer. He was 86.

The school said Pegues died this week at John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The 6-foot-3 guard joined Pitt in 1954 and played a year on the freshman team before earning a scholarship and moving to varsity. He averaged 13.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 77 career games for the Panthers and twice helped the Panthers to the NCAA Tournament, including a 31-point performance in a first-round loss to Miami (Ohio) in 1958.