After falling by one to North Carolina, Pitt men’s basketball (14-10, 5-8 ACC) traveled to Dallas to take on SMU (19-5, 10-3 ACC) in a game that was a must-win to keep any hopes of a March Madness tournament appearance alive. The Panthers needed to bust their three-game losing streak and secure an important victory, but ultimately ended up adding an eighth Quadrant 1 loss to their record.
The Mustangs took control immediately, winning the tip and dishing inside to first-year center Samet Yiğitoğlu. Pitt’s junior forward Cameron Corhen then picked up two quick fouls, bringing him to the bench after just two minutes of play.
Sophomore guard Jalen Lowe and junior forward Guillermo Diaz Graham led the Panthers offensively early in the half, both cashing in from the three to leave Pitt trailing by four going into the first timeout of the half.
The Mustangs took advantage of the Panthers’ weak perimeter defense, sinking three quick threes to put SMU up by 10 with just over 11 minutes remaining in the first half.
SMU’s defense continued to give the Panthers trouble, with junior guard B.J. Edwards and senior forward Keon Ambrose-Hylton cashing in on layups off of Pitt turnovers. The Panthers couldn’t match the Mustangs’ energy, trailing by 15 with seven minutes remaining before the half.
Pitt, needing a spark, put Corhen back in for the Panthers. But he immediately picked up his third foul, sending him straight back to the bench.
Diaz Graham ended the almost five-minute scoring drought for the Panthers with a layup, barely making a dent in the Mustangs’ 18-point lead. Senior forward Zack Austin finally got himself on the board with two corner threes, but SMU remained unfazed, responding with five easy points.
The Panthers went into the locker room trailing 27-43, shooting just 27%, their lowest of any half this season. Lowe struggled offensively in the first half, with only six points and four of the team’s eight turnovers. The Mustangs used this to their advantage, tallying 14 points off turnovers alone.
The Mustangs also capitalized off of Corhen’s lack of minutes, ending the half with 18 points in the paint while the Panthers recorded only two.
SMU’s domination didn’t end in the first half as it exploded out of the locker room with an 8-0 run. The 7-foot-2 Yiğitoğlu continued to dominate in the paint, scoring six of his 17 points in the first four minutes of the second half.
Lowe saw limited minutes in the second half after a head-on collision with SMU’s junior guard Boopie Miller. He returned to the game after the collision, but was soon back on the bench and did not return to the game. The Panthers felt the loss of senior guard Damian Dunn, who was sidelined with a fractured elbow after Saturday’s loss to North Carolina.
First-year guard Brandin Cummings put up eight points for Pitt, looking to make up for Dunn’s absence, but his teammates did not capitalize on his production. The Mustangs had a response for every point the Panthers put on the board, maintaining a 14-point lead with nine minutes left in the game.
Pitt’s defense couldn’t stop the Mustang’s momentum in the crucial last minutes of the half. SMU went on a 7-0 run, forcing a Pitt timeout with five minutes remaining in regulation.
The remainder of the half was much of the same for the Panthers. The Mustangs crushed Pitt’s hopes of earning a Quad 1 victory by losing 83-63.
The Panthers return home to face Miami this Saturday, Feb. 15. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m., and the game is available on ESPN2.
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