Pitt's Lineup Experiment Keys Win at Boston College
PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers were off to a strong start against Boston College but some foul trouble shouldered by superstar forward Blake Hinson gummed up the works and forced head coach Jeff Capel to start experiementing in a must-win game late in the regular season.
But Capel found a quick and efficient solution for the Panthers with a new lineup combination that featured both centers - Federiko Federiko and Guillermo Diaz Graham - in the lineup together. It was the first time Pitt had called on that lineup in a game and it boosted the team at a critical point in the game.
"We’ve been working on it in practice and we haven't done it in games yet," Capel said. "But it’s something that we’ve been working on and obviously with how they played tonight, it’s something that we’ll look at more going forward."
MORE: Inside Pitt Postgame Report: Panthers Dominate Boston College
Capel would be remiss not to look at using this lineup more moving forward because it was extremely effective, especially against one of the ACC's best, most complete big men in Quinten Post.
Pitt held a healthy lead - 21-9 with 13:43 left in the first half - over the Eagles when Hinson picked up his second foul. After Capel recalled his leading scorer to the bench, the Eagles went on a 12-2 run and cut their deficit to 23-21. They grabbed four offensive rebounds, scored five points off second chances and Post scored seven of the 12 points.
Capel then took a risk, adding Federiko to play alongside Diaz Graham for the first time in a game this season and they thrived. Pitt was being out-rebounded 8-3 since Hinson went to the bench but with the double-big lineup in place, the Panthers beat Boston College on the boards 6-1 over the next 4:22 and 9-4 over the final 8:02 over the first half.
Pitt outscored the Eagles 22-9 over the final 7:43 of the first half and took a 15-point lead into halftime that it only expanded upon after intermission before walking away with a 90-65 victory.
"It was just to try to take up space defensively and to help us rebounding," Capel said. "I think the first 8-10 minutes of the game, they had five offensive rebounds and they didn’t have one the rest of the half, so a big part of it was to do that."
Diaz Graham made two 3-pointers and two free throws, grabbed an offensive rebound, stole a pass and dealt an assist while playing the final 14:28 of the first half. Federiko grabbed two rebounds and made all three of his short-range looks at the rim over the final 7:43 of the first half.
There's a kinship between these two close friends and Capel believed their chemistry was evident on the court in the confidence they played with together.
"I think they did. I mean, Fede had some really outstanding finishes in there. Guillermo had some drives and obviously him shooting the basketball," Capel said. "I thought obviously their length defensively helped us collectively as a group defensively and it helped us rebound."
This was the latest example of tactical success from Capel, who's pushed the right buttons repeatedly for a young team that has had to mix and match lineups frequently to find the most effective group. Every game is a must-win at this point in Pitt's season, as they chase dwindling numbers of at-large bids and at a pivotal point, the Panthers head coach notched adjusted on the fly to key a critical win.
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