Summary: The Pitt Panthers went into Tuesday night needing a big win to help their NCAA Tournament chances and coming out of the gates, it looked like they were up to the challenge. Pitt forward Zach Austin hit a 3-pointer just 32 seconds into the game and the Panthers held the lead for the entire first half from there.
Austin’s second 3-pointer gave Pitt a 23-13 advantage around the midway point of the first half. While that lead was impressive to gain on the road, it did not feel like enough. The Panthers struggled to score near the basket and left multiple point-blank shots on the table, which allowed Clemson to hang around when it really struggled. Clemson sustained multiple scoring droughts in the first half, but Pitt played into that with a few of their own, and again, it led to Pitt only holding a small lead when it should have been much greater.
Pitt’s propensity to play with fire caught up with them in the second half. Clemson grabbed momentum right after halftime and took the lead right away and Pitt’s poor shooting out of the gates only added to the Tigers’ run. The Panthers settled in somewhat and Bub Carrington connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to give Pitt a 50-46 lead with 8:44 remaining, but Pitt only made two baskets for the remainder of the game. Carrington’s two free throws cut it to 61-60 at the 1:40 mark, but Clemson star PJ Hall answered with two of his own, then the Tigers’ Chase Hunter got a friendly roll on a 3-pointer to give Clemson the necessary separation it needed in the closing seconds.
Player of the Game: Bub Carrington
Carrington was superb and nearly willed Pitt to a win by himself in the second half. The freshman guard finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and did not commit a single turnover for the game. Carrington scored 13 of Pitt’s 31 points after halftime. He was really the only one making things happen down the stretch.
Turning Point: Letting PJ Hall catch the ball undefended late in the game
Pitt was down 61-58 when Clemson coach Brad Brownell called a timeout. The Panthers absolutely needed a stop and they got one. Clemson tried to force a pass into the post and Pitt went down and Carrington drew a foul and made both foul shots to make it a one-point game. On the ensuing possession, Clemson dumped the ball inside to Hall, who was not being guarded by anyone. There was a serious defensive lapse. Pitt scrambled to foul him and he made both. Either way, in a crucial, game-deciding possession, there is no way the other team’s best player should be able to catch a pass without a defender within four feet of him. It's hard to say what would have happened on that possession, but the Panthers never got a chance to let it play out.
A missed opportunity
It is hard to look at Tuesday night’s game as anything but a missed opportunity. The Panthers had the right mindset to go out and steal a game on the road, but again, they missed way too many easy baskets in the first half. Pitt had a chance to really take a commanding lead and Clemson does not feel like the type of team built for a huge comeback. Pitt was just 5-of-15 on layups and 2-for-4 on dunk attempts for the game, and missing shots like that let Clemson hang a lot closer. It really came down to making easy shots and Pitt could not do that on Tuesday.
Blake goes cold
Blake Hinson had his worst game of the season at an inopportune time. Hinson finished with six points on 2-of-9 shooting. He was 0-for-4 from 3-point range and was never much of a factor for the Panthers. In fact, it was a minor miracle the Panthers hung in there for 40 minutes without their star doing much on offense. Clemson made life difficult on him to be sure, but most teams defend him hard. That added attention really worked tonight, however.
A disaster of a second half
Pitt shot 2-for-15 on 3-pointers in the second half and 28.1% from the floor overall. The Panthers had multiple open looks, but aside from Carrington, nobody seemed to be able to knock down many shots. Leggett was 2-10 from the field in the second half after producing a solid effort prior to that with 9 in the first half.
Another loss at Clemson
The loss also means Pitt has now lost 12 straight games to the Clemson Tigers. Pitt’s last win over Clemson occurred back in 2014. The Tigers have made the NCAA Tournament just twice over this stretch, so it’s not like this losing streak has been to a blue blood type program, but Pitt can’t seem to crack the Clemson code.
Up Next: The Panthers are now 18-10 on the year with a 9-8 mark in ACC play. Pitt returns to action on Saturday night on the road against Boston College. The Eagles are 15-12 (6-10) on the year and will host Virginia tomorrow night. Pitt’s NCAA Tournament chances are certainly dwindling and the path to reviving them starts with winning all three remaining regular season games.
Austin’s second 3-pointer gave Pitt a 23-13 advantage around the midway point of the first half. While that lead was impressive to gain on the road, it did not feel like enough. The Panthers struggled to score near the basket and left multiple point-blank shots on the table, which allowed Clemson to hang around when it really struggled. Clemson sustained multiple scoring droughts in the first half, but Pitt played into that with a few of their own, and again, it led to Pitt only holding a small lead when it should have been much greater.
Pitt’s propensity to play with fire caught up with them in the second half. Clemson grabbed momentum right after halftime and took the lead right away and Pitt’s poor shooting out of the gates only added to the Tigers’ run. The Panthers settled in somewhat and Bub Carrington connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to give Pitt a 50-46 lead with 8:44 remaining, but Pitt only made two baskets for the remainder of the game. Carrington’s two free throws cut it to 61-60 at the 1:40 mark, but Clemson star PJ Hall answered with two of his own, then the Tigers’ Chase Hunter got a friendly roll on a 3-pointer to give Clemson the necessary separation it needed in the closing seconds.
Player of the Game: Bub Carrington
Carrington was superb and nearly willed Pitt to a win by himself in the second half. The freshman guard finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and did not commit a single turnover for the game. Carrington scored 13 of Pitt’s 31 points after halftime. He was really the only one making things happen down the stretch.
Turning Point: Letting PJ Hall catch the ball undefended late in the game
Pitt was down 61-58 when Clemson coach Brad Brownell called a timeout. The Panthers absolutely needed a stop and they got one. Clemson tried to force a pass into the post and Pitt went down and Carrington drew a foul and made both foul shots to make it a one-point game. On the ensuing possession, Clemson dumped the ball inside to Hall, who was not being guarded by anyone. There was a serious defensive lapse. Pitt scrambled to foul him and he made both. Either way, in a crucial, game-deciding possession, there is no way the other team’s best player should be able to catch a pass without a defender within four feet of him. It's hard to say what would have happened on that possession, but the Panthers never got a chance to let it play out.
A missed opportunity
It is hard to look at Tuesday night’s game as anything but a missed opportunity. The Panthers had the right mindset to go out and steal a game on the road, but again, they missed way too many easy baskets in the first half. Pitt had a chance to really take a commanding lead and Clemson does not feel like the type of team built for a huge comeback. Pitt was just 5-of-15 on layups and 2-for-4 on dunk attempts for the game, and missing shots like that let Clemson hang a lot closer. It really came down to making easy shots and Pitt could not do that on Tuesday.
Blake goes cold
Blake Hinson had his worst game of the season at an inopportune time. Hinson finished with six points on 2-of-9 shooting. He was 0-for-4 from 3-point range and was never much of a factor for the Panthers. In fact, it was a minor miracle the Panthers hung in there for 40 minutes without their star doing much on offense. Clemson made life difficult on him to be sure, but most teams defend him hard. That added attention really worked tonight, however.
A disaster of a second half
Pitt shot 2-for-15 on 3-pointers in the second half and 28.1% from the floor overall. The Panthers had multiple open looks, but aside from Carrington, nobody seemed to be able to knock down many shots. Leggett was 2-10 from the field in the second half after producing a solid effort prior to that with 9 in the first half.
Another loss at Clemson
The loss also means Pitt has now lost 12 straight games to the Clemson Tigers. Pitt’s last win over Clemson occurred back in 2014. The Tigers have made the NCAA Tournament just twice over this stretch, so it’s not like this losing streak has been to a blue blood type program, but Pitt can’t seem to crack the Clemson code.
Up Next: The Panthers are now 18-10 on the year with a 9-8 mark in ACC play. Pitt returns to action on Saturday night on the road against Boston College. The Eagles are 15-12 (6-10) on the year and will host Virginia tomorrow night. Pitt’s NCAA Tournament chances are certainly dwindling and the path to reviving them starts with winning all three remaining regular season games.
