A piston assembly for an internal combustion engine, comprises: a piston head having an upper combustion wall with an undercrown surface and a ring belt region depending from said upper combustion wall, a floor having an upper surface and a bottom surface, said floor being spaced beneath said upper combustion wall in radial alignment with said ring belt region, a substantially enclosed, annular cooling gallery bounded by said undercrown surface and said floor, said cooling gallery extending radially inwardly from said ring belt region; a pair of pin bores depending directly from the floor of the cooling gallery; a pin having ends configured for oscillating receipt in the pin bores; a pin bearing surface extending within said pin bores and between said pin bores in said lower surface of said floor; a connecting rod having an end fixed to the pin for conjoint oscillation therewith; and a plurality of support members extending radially outwardly from a central longitudinal axis of said piston head, said support members extending between said undercrown surface and said upper surface of said floor.