Pitt's Jeff Capel Upset With Clemson's 'Cheap Shot'
PITTSBURGH -- Bub Carrington had just hit a pair of free throws to bring the Pitt Panthers within a point of the Clemson Tigers with 1:40 to go in a matchup with ACC and NCAA Tournament implications at play and the ensuing possession had head coach Jeff Capel upset days after his team ultimately lost.
Capel said Pitt failed to match their opponent's physicality, a major factor in the 69-62 defeat, but felt that Clemson guard Chase Hunter delivered a "cheap shot" to center Federiko Federiko, which opened up a clear look at the basket for P.J. Hall, late in the game.
"I mean, it’s 1:30 left and it’s a one-point game and we had a guy that almost gets his ribs cracked on a cross screen," Clemson said. "I mean, how do you fight through that? When it’s a cheap shot. … A foul was called on us, which was a foul, which was a foul after the fact but maybe we can wear some rib pads. I don’t know."
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In the play Capel referenced, Hunter came across the lane to set a screen on Federiko, who was fronting Hall. Federiko tried to get around the screen, but Hunter leaned his shoulder and elbow out to make sure he got a piece of the man he was supposed to screen.
Federiko took the bump and doubled over for a moment before recovering in time to prevent the wide open layup by fouling Hall. Before Hall took his free throws, Federiko took another moment to gather himself before stepping in to rebound.
Capel didn't absolve his team of their struggles to keep up with an older, more physical Clemson team. He said they need to be able to match that type of style if they want to compete with the best in college basketball.
"They were very physical. That’s who they are. I’m not saying it’s anything different," Capel said. "That’s something they pride their program on. In the second half, we were just not able to run anything off it. So it just turned stagnant, us playing one-on-one. I think we had one assist the whole second half, only I think four, maybe three for the game. So we have to be better. We have to be able to play in any type of environment, against any style.”
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