The Panthers brutally lost their second-straight ACC game by a score of 73-67 to Georgia Tech in their return to the Petersen Events Center. Pitt’s two misses in one of its last possessions of the game ultimately handed the game to the Yellow Jackets.
Sophomore guard Jaland Lowe scored 25 points and recorded eight assists and senior guard Ishmael Leggett scored 20 points. Junior forward Cameron Corhen fouled out but finished with 12 points on 6-for-6 shooting.
For Georgia Tech, redshirt junior forward Duncan Powell led all scorers with 26 points and senior guard Lance Terry added 20 points. Sophomore forward Baye Ndongo grabbed 17 rebounds and added 11 points.
The Panthers start almost every game slow on offense. They went the first 5:20 into the game without a point the last time they played in the Petersen Events Center. There was improvement against the Yellow Jackets, but they still only scored eight points in the first 8:04, showing that the Panthers have yet to increase their starting speed.
Georgia Tech started the game, scoring open layups and second-chance opportunities. The Yellow Jackets grabbed five offensive rebounds, leading to six points, compared to the Panthers’ one in the first eight minutes.
Many of those open looks came from Georgia Tech sophomore guard Naithan George, who finished the game with five assists, creating space and making the right pass.
As most Pitt men’s basketball games go, the Panthers eventually found their touch from deep. Senior guard Ishmael Leggett hit two three-pointers and junior forward Guillermo Diaz Graham made another to help cut into the Yellow Jackets’ once 12-point lead.
Leading 27-23 with 6:59 in the first half, Powell made his third 3-pointer and third bucket in just under four minutes to make it a seven-point game. Then, Leggett and Lowe each scored in the mid-range to cut the lead to 30-27 with 2:39 remaining.
George threw a bad pass which redshirt senior forward Zack Austin intercepted, and pushed the ball downcourt to Lowe. The Missouri City, Texas, native crossed over his defender but couldn’t knock down the game-tying shot. Terry answered with a wide-open 3-pointer and the Panthers were back to trailing by six with the ball to end the half.
Pitt head coach Jeff Capel called his first timeout of the contest. Lowe dribbled out the clock, drew two defenders and kicked to Austin wide-open for a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
Georgia Tech led 35-30 at the half. Terry led all scorers with 14 points, and Duncan added 13 in the first half. Leggett scored 12 points, and Lowe recorded eight points and five assists for the Panthers.
Both teams traded buckets in the paint out of the break. Then, neither team could score for the following 2:20. Almost every possession ended in a missed open 3-pointer or a turnover. Austin ended the drought by swiping the ball from Powell and almost posterizing a Yellow Jacket but was fouled on the attempt and went 1-of-2 from the free throw line.
Powell heated up again to slow the Panthers’ momentum. In six minutes, Powell drove past several Panthers for a layup, made a 3-pointer without contact and converted a pair of four-point plays. Powell’s quick 13 points kept the Panthers and their limited offense at bay.
Lowe and Leggett did succeed in getting to the free-throw line, making nine total during Powell’s run. Corhen finished through contact for his sixth consecutive bucket to keep the Panthers within reach.
After Powell cooled off, the Panthers trailed 56-51 with 7:13 to play. They had recently switched to a 2-3 zone defense, and it was working. But Pitt’s miscommunication over a defensive scheme that it hardly runs left Terry wide open for a 3-pointer from the corner. It missed.
The Panthers corralled the rebound and pushed the pace. This time, at the top of the key, Lowe stepped back and made his first 3-pointer of the night, cutting Georgia Tech’s lead to 56-54 with 6:34 to play.
Lowe pointed up to the sky. The Panthers and the crowd at the Pete finally arrived.
Lowe made a pair of free throws on the next possession. After another turnover by the Yellow Jackets, Lowe kicked the ball to Cummings who was open in the corner and drained it to give the Panthers their first lead of the night 59-58.
A series of unfortunate calls against the Panthers turned the excitement into frustration from the home team. Georgia Tech made seven unanswered free throws after Cummings’s 3-pointer to retake the lead 65-59 with just under four minutes to play.
All the late-game scoring came at the free-throw line. There hadn’t been one field goal made since the Panthers first took the lead. Then, Lowe got the matchup he wanted, drove across the paint and scored a finger-roll layup.
On the next possession, Leggett stole the ball and got it back to Lowe, who stepped back and made another 3-pointer, tying the game 67-67.
After a pair of free throws from George to retake the lead, the Panthers needed to get a good look. Lowe got the Panthers a second opportunity after a missed 3-pointer, but Leggett missed a wide-open layup.
Terry ran the length of the court, made his wide-open layup and sealed the game. Pitt attempted three 3-pointers on their last possession, but none found the bottom of the net.
The Panthers fall to 16-12 overall and 7-10 in the conference. They face No. 19 Louisville on the road on Saturday, March 1.
This story will be updated
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