Pitt Goes Cold in Critical Loss at Clemson
PITTSBURGH -- The stakes couldn't have been higher for the Pitt Panthers' road matchup with the Clemson Tigers on Tuesday night. A Panthers win over one of the premier teams in the ACC who has all but punched its ticket to the NCAA tournament would've been a major boon for Pitt's own postseason hopes while a loss would push it further down the bubble.
The Panthers couldn't finish the job, however, as they were dealt a gut-wrenching 69-62 loss by the Tigers. Pitt's offense struggled all game, shooting 32.8% from the field and 28% from behind the arc while Clemson's defense controlled the game. On the other end, the Tigers shot 47.9% overall and 46.7% from three-point range while taking over in the second half.
Zack Austin picked up from where he left off against Virginia Tech with a three-pointer on Pitt's first possession of the game. The Panthers held Clemson to 1-of-5 shooting in the opening minutes, leading to an 8-3 lead before the first media timeout at the 15:32 mark.
The Tigers closed the gap to 10-8 after a pair of baskets from Joe Girard III and Jack Clark, though Pitt's three guards combined for nine points as it carried a 17-12 lead into the second media timeout at the 10:51 mark.
Threes from Austin and Ishmael Leggett pushed the Panthers' lead to 10 points out of the break while Clemson fought through a stretch of over four minutes without a field goal. Chase Hunter helped the Tigers recover with a midrange jumper at the 7:31 mark as they cut their deficit to 25-18 at the third media timeout.
Both sides fell into a funk with Pitt in the midst of a 1-of-9 slump while Clemson endured a scoring drought of over three minutes that persisted through the media timeout at the 3:31 mark.
Both Hunter and Blake Hinson converted a pair of free throws before Girard connected on a three-pointer that made it 27-23. Leggett came to the rescue however, notching four points on consecutive possessions that grew the Panthers' lead to 31-23 at the 1:24 mark.
The Tigers embarked on a mini 4-0 in the closing minute of the first half, making it 31-27 in favor of Pitt at halftime.
Pitt left quite a few points out on the floor in the first half, missing an inexplicable number of easy looks at the rim while shooting 37.9% from the floor. The Panthers stood tall on the defensive end, however, forcing seven turnovers while holding Clemson to 39.1% shooting overall.
Leggett paced Pitt with nine points on 4-of-5 shooting in the first half as Girard and Hunter each tallied eight points on 5-of-7 combined shooting.
The Panthers went without a point for the first 2:24 of the second half after starting 0-of-7 from the field, providing Clemson with an opportunity to take a 32-31 lead. Pitt went back in front on several occasions in the following minutes, but the Tigers ultimately possessed a 37-35 advantage leading into a media timeout at the 15:59 mark.
An Austin and-one off of a dunk helped awaken the Panthers as they stole the lead at the 15:32 mark. The two teams exchanged blows before Clemson took a 43-42 lead into the media timeout at the 11:29 mark while Pitt was mired in a stretch of over three minutes without a field goal.
Girard and Bub Carrington traded threes on back-to-back trips down the floor, pushing the Panthers in front 47-46 at the 9:27 mark. Carrington doubled up during Pitt's following possession as it held a 50-48 lead before a Tigers timeout at the 8:32 mark.
Ian Schieffelin nailed a pair of free throws that put Clemson up 52-50 before Leggett tied it with a tough layup. Two buckets by Josh Beadle then placed the Tigers in front 56-52 at the 5:38 mark as the Panthers called a timeout.
A Schieffelin triple grew Clemson's lead to five points at the 4:08 mark before Carrington cut it to 61-60 at the 1:40 mark after a trip to the charity stripe.
A Hunter three-pointer was the dagger as the Tigers went up 66-60 with 38 seconds remaining in the contest. The loss marked a missed opportunity for the Panthers, who's at-large status is now very much in question.
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