Summary: It felt like Pitt was chasing Wake Forest all night on Tuesday. The Panthers were scurrying around all game to slow down the Demon Deacons’ potent offensive attack and because of that, they were chasing the home team on the scoreboard most of the night. The defensive struggles by Pitt only magnified the team’s shooting woes as the ACC’s hottest team went cold in Winston-Salem with a 29% shooting performance.
The Panthers were trailing by 12 at halftime, but that lead swelled quickly for Wake Forest after the break. Pitt started the second half missing its first eight shots as Wake was able to build that lead up over 20 points and maintained a double-digit cushion on the Panthers for the entire second half.
Blake Hinson, the reigning ACC Player of the Week, had an unusually cold night for his standards finishing with only 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting. Bub Carrington, Pitt’s star freshman guard, had an equally as frustrating effort with only 9 points on 3-of-13 from the field.
The defeat was not ideal for Pitt on two fronts. The Panthers and Demon Deacons have both been near the cut line, depending on which brackeologist you listen to, so losing a game against a fellow bubble team was not good. It was also a missed opportunity for the Panthers to pick up an ever-important ‘Quad 1’ win, as Pitt only has one other chance to add another one to its resume over the final five games.
The game was also big in terms of the ACC standings as well, as Wake Forest moved into sole position into fourth place. The top four teams earn a double bye in the ACC Tournament, and as of now, the Panthers are outside of that threshold.
Player of the Game: Ishmael Leggett
There were not many positive to pick from this one, but Ishmael Leggett put together a solid performance. He finished with a team-high 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Leggett is a sixth man in name only, as he played 30 minutes on Tuesday, but this newfound role for him has been a positive. Leggett has now scored in double figures in eight of the ten games he has come off the bench.
Turning Point: The first four minutes of the second half
Pitt being down 12 points at halftime was not an ideal spot, but it also did not feel like they were totally out of the game either. The Panthers trailed Wake Forest by 10 at halftime in the first meeting, so there was precedent for a Pitt comeback. Not to mention, Pitt has Blake Hinson who is capable of getting hot at any time. Hinson has shot Pitt back into games before, so again it was possible.
While the 12-point deficit left a small crack for Pitt, it also felt like Wake Forest could stretch the lead with one big push, and that’s exactly what happened. Coaches will always tell you the first four minutes out
of halftime will dictate the rest of the game, and it proved true on Tuesday. The Panthers fell behind 65-37 at the 13:15 mark, as the Demon Deacons just totally blitzed Pitt out of halftime. There was a small opening at halftime, but Pitt starting 0-8 from the second half slammed that crack shut.
A struggle for Blake
I do not think Blake Hinson came out and lacked focus or intensity on Tuesday night, but after a career game and a bunch of national recognition, Wake Forest made it a point to stop the Panthers’ senior leader. Steve Forbes and his team did a good job of limiting the Pitt star player from the start. Hinson finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. He only made one shot from three-point range for the game. Heck, Hinson did not even take a three-pointer until the second half. Wake Forest did as good of a job on Hinson as anyone has all year, and sometimes that is the way it goes.
Bubble didn’t burst
It’s hard to say who knows what at this time of year, but I think the main thing we need to remember is that ‘Bracketology’ is a great content item for national websites. It generates A LOT of traffic. We all check it every single day in February and March, that’s part of the fun in college basketball, but just because there is an article or update every single hour, does not make what some of these reporters say as gospel. They are informed, but only to a certain point.
So while this loss stings and a win tonight would have been another ‘Quad 1’ win, the result does not mean Pitt’s season is over just yet. The Panthers do not have a lot of room for error, but they probably can withstand a loss here. The defeat being a blowout certainly isn’t ideal, but if Pitt bounces back with a couple of wins, by next Wednesday they will probably be around the same the point as they are right now.
Immovable force beats an unstoppable object
Pitt has been one of the better road teams in the country this year as it came into this game with a 6-2 record. Wake Forest has been even better at home and ultimately that held true on Tuesday. The Demon Deacons improved to 14-0 at home this season. The Panthers are now 0-6 all-time inside of Joel Coliseum.
Season high...or low?
Wake Forest scored 91 points, the highest total Pitt has allowed all season. The Panthers had only yielded more than 80 points twice this season, so no team has had the ability to carve up Pitt the way Wake Forest was able to on Tuesday.
Up Next: Pitt returns home on Saturday for a big home game against Virginia Tech at the Petersen Events Center. The Hokies are 15-11 (7-8) on the year, so while the tournament seems unlikely for them, they are still jockeying for position in the ACC standings. By losing tonight, Pitt has virtually no room for error down the stretch, likely making Saturday a ‘must win’ game for the Panthers.
The Panthers were trailing by 12 at halftime, but that lead swelled quickly for Wake Forest after the break. Pitt started the second half missing its first eight shots as Wake was able to build that lead up over 20 points and maintained a double-digit cushion on the Panthers for the entire second half.
Blake Hinson, the reigning ACC Player of the Week, had an unusually cold night for his standards finishing with only 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting. Bub Carrington, Pitt’s star freshman guard, had an equally as frustrating effort with only 9 points on 3-of-13 from the field.
The defeat was not ideal for Pitt on two fronts. The Panthers and Demon Deacons have both been near the cut line, depending on which brackeologist you listen to, so losing a game against a fellow bubble team was not good. It was also a missed opportunity for the Panthers to pick up an ever-important ‘Quad 1’ win, as Pitt only has one other chance to add another one to its resume over the final five games.
The game was also big in terms of the ACC standings as well, as Wake Forest moved into sole position into fourth place. The top four teams earn a double bye in the ACC Tournament, and as of now, the Panthers are outside of that threshold.
Player of the Game: Ishmael Leggett
There were not many positive to pick from this one, but Ishmael Leggett put together a solid performance. He finished with a team-high 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Leggett is a sixth man in name only, as he played 30 minutes on Tuesday, but this newfound role for him has been a positive. Leggett has now scored in double figures in eight of the ten games he has come off the bench.
Turning Point: The first four minutes of the second half
Pitt being down 12 points at halftime was not an ideal spot, but it also did not feel like they were totally out of the game either. The Panthers trailed Wake Forest by 10 at halftime in the first meeting, so there was precedent for a Pitt comeback. Not to mention, Pitt has Blake Hinson who is capable of getting hot at any time. Hinson has shot Pitt back into games before, so again it was possible.
While the 12-point deficit left a small crack for Pitt, it also felt like Wake Forest could stretch the lead with one big push, and that’s exactly what happened. Coaches will always tell you the first four minutes out
of halftime will dictate the rest of the game, and it proved true on Tuesday. The Panthers fell behind 65-37 at the 13:15 mark, as the Demon Deacons just totally blitzed Pitt out of halftime. There was a small opening at halftime, but Pitt starting 0-8 from the second half slammed that crack shut.
A struggle for Blake
I do not think Blake Hinson came out and lacked focus or intensity on Tuesday night, but after a career game and a bunch of national recognition, Wake Forest made it a point to stop the Panthers’ senior leader. Steve Forbes and his team did a good job of limiting the Pitt star player from the start. Hinson finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. He only made one shot from three-point range for the game. Heck, Hinson did not even take a three-pointer until the second half. Wake Forest did as good of a job on Hinson as anyone has all year, and sometimes that is the way it goes.
Bubble didn’t burst
It’s hard to say who knows what at this time of year, but I think the main thing we need to remember is that ‘Bracketology’ is a great content item for national websites. It generates A LOT of traffic. We all check it every single day in February and March, that’s part of the fun in college basketball, but just because there is an article or update every single hour, does not make what some of these reporters say as gospel. They are informed, but only to a certain point.
So while this loss stings and a win tonight would have been another ‘Quad 1’ win, the result does not mean Pitt’s season is over just yet. The Panthers do not have a lot of room for error, but they probably can withstand a loss here. The defeat being a blowout certainly isn’t ideal, but if Pitt bounces back with a couple of wins, by next Wednesday they will probably be around the same the point as they are right now.
Immovable force beats an unstoppable object
Pitt has been one of the better road teams in the country this year as it came into this game with a 6-2 record. Wake Forest has been even better at home and ultimately that held true on Tuesday. The Demon Deacons improved to 14-0 at home this season. The Panthers are now 0-6 all-time inside of Joel Coliseum.
Season high...or low?
Wake Forest scored 91 points, the highest total Pitt has allowed all season. The Panthers had only yielded more than 80 points twice this season, so no team has had the ability to carve up Pitt the way Wake Forest was able to on Tuesday.
Up Next: Pitt returns home on Saturday for a big home game against Virginia Tech at the Petersen Events Center. The Hokies are 15-11 (7-8) on the year, so while the tournament seems unlikely for them, they are still jockeying for position in the ACC standings. By losing tonight, Pitt has virtually no room for error down the stretch, likely making Saturday a ‘must win’ game for the Panthers.
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