It's like having a light-hitting shortstop lead the team in home runs. Or having a quarterback lead the team in rushing.

The fact that Tyrell Biggs, a 6-foot-8, 250-pound power forward, is Pitt's best 3-point shooter through the first 11 games is not necessarily the best news for the Panthers. But, for a team desperately seeking accurate outside shooters, Biggs' effectiveness from 3-point range has been a pleasant surprise.

After going 2 for 2 on 3-point attempts in Pitt's 79-66 victory against Siena Wednesday night, Biggs took the team lead in 3-point shooting percentage, edging freshman guard Ashton Gibbs. Biggs has made 53.3 percent (8 for 15) of his attempts for the season.

"I've been working on it," Biggs said. "It's repetition. I work on it before practice, during practice and after practice. It feels real comfortable for me."

Give Biggs credit for working hard to hone a part of his game that provides the Panthers with a tactical advantage. As a power forward, he has proven to be a tough matchup for opposing teams because of his ability to step outside and shoot jumpers.

That presence on the perimeter has been especially important in light of the fact that Pitt's starting shooting guard, Jermaine Dixon, is among the team's worst 3-point shooters at 16.7 percent (5 for 30).

As a team, Pitt is shooting 34.7 percent from 3-point range. The only other player to make a 3-pointer against Siena was Gilbert Brown as the Panthers were 3 for 15.

"[Against Siena,] I felt like we were struggling from the arc," Biggs said.

"I saw it, tried to step up and pick up some of the slack."

Biggs never has been shy about hoisting 3-pointers, but he has never shot with the accuracy that he has been displaying this season. He entered his senior season shooting 23 percent from behind the arc.

With the pair of 3-pointers against Siena, Biggs surpassed his career total from his first three seasons.

"He's always been a good shooter," Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. "I think he's just in better shape. He has better legs. He has more confidence. He's playing more minutes.

"He's a senior. He's a better player. He's a better player than when he was a freshman, than he was when he was a sophomore and a junior. Every guy in our program has done that. That's been a trademark. And he's no exception. He's played very well."

Biggs, a big question mark for the team before the season started, has developed into a solid all-around player. He is the team's fourth-leading scorer (8.5 points per game) and third in rebounds (5.1 per game).

For someone his size, Biggs always has leaned toward being more of a finesse player than a power player. That was not lost on Dixon, who implored him to focus on improving his rebounding skills and tenacity before the season.

"He's gotten better at it," Dixon said.

"His numbers are a little better, but defensively he is a far better player than he was last year. I just think he's playing with confidence, and he's giving confidence to other players on the team. I think that's the biggest thing. His leadership has been tremendous for us."

Dixon said the leadership of the senior class, which also includes Levance Fields and Sam Young, has been a big part of the 11-0 start.

"We really talked about the leadership of our seniors and how that was going to be [important] for us, as it is any year," Dixon said. "This group has the ability to do things as leaders. And I don't think they realize what they can do.

"These were guys that haven't been [leaders] in the past. We're trying to get it out of them now. We're not perfect yet, but that's where I think we can improve. It can help us improve as a team."