Pitt vs Boston College Takeaways: Defense and Outside Shooting Lead Way

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers took a minute to warm up, but once they did, Boston College stood little chance of pulling the upset. Very rarely could the Panthers do wrong against the overwhelmed Eagles.

Pitt ran away with a 77-56 victory at the Petersen Events Center, their fourth in a row at home, sixth in a row overall and 12th win this season in ACC play - the most in program history. Behind a fantastic shooting performance from outside and suffocating defensive effort, the Panthers did more than just take care of business.

Pitt Punks Eagles

Boston College really wanted to be physical until Pitt proved they were the tougher team. The Eagles are a lot like the Panthers of last year - centered around a fantastic big man and dependent upon dragging their opponent down into an ugly game if they hope to win. It can be a good strategy that helps cover for talent deficiencies at times, but if you face a team that embraces tough basketball, it is not nearly as successful.

Pitt is one of those teams and it didn't just take Boston College's physicality in stride, but emerged as the tougher team. The Panthers outrebounded their opponent 44-35, outscored them in the paint 22-14, committed eight fewer fouls and held them to 35% shooting on layups. It was a physical game on both ends and one team thrived in that environment while the other wilted.

Panthers Turn to Arial Attack

Early in the game, Pitt tried to attack the basket with force but found little success. In fact, the Panthers really couldn’t do much of anything with their paint touches. Pitt made just three of their first 11 attempts at layups but didn’t really need them once the triples started to fall.

After starting 2-7 from deep, the Panthers made four in a row and nine of their final 16 shots from 3-point range. Blake Hinson knocked down six on the way to his fourth 20-point game in ACC play this season. Greg Elliot knocked down four of his eight attempts from deep and Nelly Cummings hit his only shot from long range. Pitt's 22 points in the paint came largely from their fast break opportunities - of which there were many - but the half court offense was fueled by the 3-point shot.

Cummings Comes Out Firing

Entering this game, the pain Nelly Cummings had been feeling in his ankle was the story of the night. Head coach Jeff Capel said earlier in the week that Cummings had been getting treatment for the past week and a half but against Boston College, Cummings didn't let any signs of pain show.

Cummings sparked a mid-first half turn around that allowed the Panthers to overcome a slow start and early deficit, then separate from the Eagles right before intermission. He went scoreless for the first nine minutes before scoring six points over a less than three-minute span. Cummings scored 11 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out a season-high-tying eight assists.

This was one of the more complete games Cummings has played all season and it broke him out of a small two-game slump that was due at least in part to the pain he felt in his ankle. But Capel said Cummings felt as good as he had in a while and he was more than willing to play through a little bit of pain.

"I'm all good man," Cummings said postgame. "I'm a warrior, man."

Federiko Contains Post in The Post

Jeff Capel was immensely proud of his team's defensive effort against the Eagles. He lauded their individual defense and creation of turnovers, but he didn't overlook how much the work Federiko Federiko did against All-ACC candidate Quinten Post helped keep things simple for Pitt. Post entered averaging 16.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game but his averages took a dive after he met Federiko, who didn't need frequent double-teams to halt the Eagles' versatile big-man.

The man Capel called "as good a defender in [the ACC]" contained and flustered Post for all 27 minutes he played before fouling out in the second half. He finished with just seven points on 2-9 shooting from the field, five rebounds, two assists and four turnovers.

At one point in the second half, Post committed an offensive foul and got into a dust-up with Elliot after the play. Repeatedly, Post yelled at officials, begging for a call, while running down the floor to get back on defense. It was clear the Panthers were affecting more than his game but his focus as well.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and so much more!

Pitt Sets Program Record for ACC Wins with Victory Over Boston College

Pitt vs Boston College: Game Info, Odds, Three Storylines

Bracketology Watch: Joe Lunardi Moves Pitt Down But Revives Big East Rivalries

Former Pitt Running Back Qadree Ollison Signs with Jaguars

Bracketology Watch: Andy Katz Drops Pitt to Nine Seed

Pitt Among ACC Leaders in Home Attendance

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt