Blake Hinson Dominates as Pitt Rolls Over Binghamton
PITTSBURGH -- One of the things Pitt Panthers head coach loves about his star player, Blake Hinson, is his "convenient amnesia" - the ability to compartmentalize setbacks and still play with confidence.
Hinson embodied that quality to its fullest degree in another dominating Pitt victory to open the season. After starting 0-4 from the field, Hinson hit eight of his next 10 field goal attempts, including a 4-5 mark from 3-point range, finishing with a game-high 26 points as the Panthers rolled over Binghamton, 89-60 at the Petersen Events Center and improved to 2-0 on the young season.
The Panthers won the tip but it was former Syracuse guard Symir Torrence who broke the ice, hitting a 3-pointer from the top of the key to put the visitors ahead. Bub Carrington put Pitt's first points home with a fadeaway jumper, but the Panthers struggled to convert their bunnies, missing three layups in a row on one possession. They took a 5-3 lead just before the under-16-minute media break thanks to a free throw from Federiko Federiko and a steal and score from Ishmael Leggett.
Leggett came alive following the break, scoring five straight on a transition layup and a long two-point jump shot from the wing to give Pitt an 10-5 lead at the 13:57 mark of the first half.
William Jeffress came in and immediately grabbed an offensive rebound then put it back for two more points to extend Pitt's lead to 12-8 at the 11:50 mark of the first half. The Panthers had made none of their six attempts from 3-point land by that point but did run up a 4-0 lead in points off turnovers and 6-0 advantage in second-chance points to build their lead.
Hinson knocked down his first shot - a 3-pointer from the near wing - at the 8:54 mark of the first half, but it was sandwiched in between a pair of triples from Gavin Walsh, who brought Binghamton within two scores at 21-16 with 7:58 to go until halftime.
The Panthers opened up a 30-18 lead with a 9-0 run, fueled by seven straight points from Hinson, who after starting 0-4 from the field made his next three shots in a row. The defense did their best to keep Binghamton off the board while Pitt's offense struggled. They blocked three shots and forced eight turnovers before reaching the final media timeout of the first half.
Binghamton battled back with a 10-4 bust out of the final media timeout of the half to cut their deficit from 14 to eight and Chris Walker's fadeaway jumper just before the buzzer made it 40-32 at intermission.
Hinson opened the second half by making four consecutive field goals and pushing the Panthers out to a 21-point lead by the first media timeout of the second half. After scoring 13 points in a full game against North Carolina A&T, he scored 14 points in the first 4:38 of the second half.
Then Carrington took his turn lighting up the scoreboard after picking up a technical foul with 17:23 to play in the second half. He proceeded to make his next four shots, scoring nine Pitt points in a row and extending the lead to 68-41 by the 13:15 mark of the second half.
Another big run - this one an 8-0 sprint that lasted 2:58 - put the Panthers up 32-points, their largest lead of the night. The defense played a big part in building that lead as well, as Pitt held Binghamton to 1-7 shooting and forced four turnovers over a span of 5:25.
Jeff Capel rolled with a lineup made mostly of bench players, but the Panthers reserves held firm. Guillermo Diaz Graham hit a pair of 3-pointers, Jaland Lowe scored two points off a goal-tending foul and Leggett picked up a key 10th rebound to earn his fourth career double-double.
The Panthers led 87-57 going into the final media timeout of the game and cruised from there. The Bearcats' hot shooting wore out in the second half, down to 20% from 3-point distance in the second half after shooting a scorching 46% from that range in the first.
Holding a 29-point lead with just over a minute left, Pitt brought walk-ons K.J. Marshall and Vason Stevenson into the game and ran out the clock on an 89-60 victory at the Petersen Events Center.
Behind Hinson's gaudy scoring total, Leggett - who also grabbed 11 rebounds and dealt five assists - and Carrington scored 18 points each. Guillermo Diaz Graham knocked down a pair of triples and scored 12 points.
Syracuse transfer Symir Torrence came out hot but finished with just 10 points on 3-10 shooting from the field. Evan Ashe led the way offensively for the Bearcats with 15 points, but they shot just 26% from the floor as a team in the second half, which sank all hopes of an upset.
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