Backcourt Shoots Pitt to Win Over Wake Forest
PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers entered Wednesday's game in pursuit of their first conference win at home this season against a deep Wake Forest Demon Deacons squad. After narrowly missing out on a comeback victory against Miami, Pitt finished the job this time around on the back of its backcourt and earned a 77-72 win over Wake Forest. Ishmael Leggett and Bub Carrington combined for 46 points on 16-of-31 shooting while the Panthers distanced themselves from the Demon Deacons after outscoring them by 15 points in the second half.
Carrington opened the scoring for Pitt on a mid-range jumper before Wake Forest made five-straight field goals en route to building a 15-12 lead at the first media timeout. The two sides went a combined 11-of-16 from the floor leading up to that point, setting the tone early in a fast-paced contest.
Things settled down after the break as Pitt and Wake Forest missed five consecutive shots leading into the second media timeout at the 11:43 mark. Both sides fell into lengthy scoring droughts, though the Demon Deacons broke out of their slump with a 7-0 run that grew their lead to 22-12. A three-pointer from Leggett shortly before the third media timeout at the 7:47 mark snapped both a 0-of-7 cold spell for the Panthers and an over five-minute-long scoreless stretch.
Carrington continued his strong first half performance with a corner three before Leggett made one of his own on the wing, cutting Pitt's deficit to three points at the 6:46 mark. The Panthers hung tight with Wake Forest during the following minutes as the Demon Deacons carried a 30-27 lead into the fourth media timeout at the 3:28 mark.
Kevin "Boopie" Miller proceeded to score eight points for Wake Forest out of the stoppage, helping the Demon Deacons secure a 37-27 lead at halftime as the Panthers failed to record a point in the final 3:50 of the first half.
Pitt's inconsistent shooting plagued the team in the first half, which is a trend that has become far too familiar for the Panthers. They shot 37% from the field and 40% from behind the arc while coming away with zero offensive rebounds and just six points in the paint. Pitt recorded eight turnovers on the defensive end, but that did little to slow down a Wake Forest offense that shot 53.8% and dominated down low to the tune of 20 points in the paint.
Leggett led the Panthers with eight first-half points while Carrington followed close behind with seven. Sallis paced Wake Forest with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
And-ones by both Blake Hinson and Federiko trimmed the Demon Deacons' lead to single digits right out of the chute in the second half. Pitt further put the heat on Wake Forest with a 7-0 run that made it 41-37 heading into the first media timeout at the 15:28 mark.
A Carrington jumper and contested three from Hinson cut it to 46-44 before a media timeout at the 11:58 mark as the Panthers continued to hold the Demon Deacons' offense in check.
Damari Monsanto and Hinson traded buckets out of the break before Carrington nailed a three from the top of the key that tied the game at the * mark. Reid put the Demon Deacons back in front with a pair of baskets, though Leggett knotted the score at 53-53 following a three-pointer at the 8:52 mark.
The contest remained tied at 55-55 leading into the media timeout at the 7:56 mark. Carrington pushed the Panthers in front for the first time all game with a pair of free throws at the 6:58 mark, though Sallis tied it with a layup on the following possession. Leggett wasted no time responding, however, as he five points on back-to-back trips down the floor that made it 62-57 at the 5:33 mark.
Carrington drilled a pull-up mid-range jumper at the 4:51 mark, drawing a Wake Forest timeout. The Demon Deacons cut it to 64-59 leading into the media timeout at the 2:58 mark as the game became increasingly testy and physical in the closing minutes.
A ferocious slam by William Jeffress on an out-of-bounds play energized the home crowd before a Leggett transition layup gave the Panthers a nine-point lead with just over two minutes to play.
An and-one for Hinson extended Pitt's lead to 71-61 at the 1:20 mark, though Wake Forest made things interesting after making it a six-point game with 34 seconds left. The Panthers didn't succumb to the pressure, however, and held strong down the stretch as they captured an emotional first home win in ACC play against a valiant opponent.
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