Pitt vs VCU Live Feed: Panthers Drop a Barn-Burner

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers surged in the second half to take control in their second game of the Legends Classic against VCU. But foul trouble and offensive ineffectiveness plagued them late as they blew a late lead in their third loss of the young season.

Game Information

Matchup: Pitt vs. VCU
Time: 7:00 P.M. ET
Where: Barclays Center
How to Watch: ESPN2
How to Listen: 93.7 The Fan

Live Game Chat

Come chat with our Inside the Panthers team. Stephen Thompson will share their thoughts and news, and any highlights from the game. Tweet at us at @InsidePitt to have your thoughts and reactions shared in the feed.

Stephen: Final: Pitt 67, VCU 71.

Pitt led by four with 1:50 to play and lost by four. A collapse of epic proportions pushes them out of Brooklyn with an 0-2 record and drops their overall record to 1-3. The Panthers surged in the second half only to let the same lapses they had overcome undo their stranglehold on a win.

Jorge Diaz-Graham scored 10 points, grabbed five rebounds and shot 5-7 from the free throw line in a breakout game. Nelly Cummings scored all 11 of his points in the second half, but committed five turnovers and recorded no assists. Blake Hinson added 18 points.

Stephen: VCU has battled to stay within striking distance of the Panthers and pulled within one when Johns scored an and-1 against Guillermo Diaz-Graham. Johns then baited Diaz-Graham into another foul, his fifth and will go to the line with a chance to put his team on top. It's 60-59, Pitt with 1:36 to play.

Stephen: Nelly Cummings is back on the floor with 3:54 left to play. Pitt's up 57-54 after VCU knocks down a pair of free throws.

Stephen:

The twins aren't blocking shots so much, but they are affecting them.
— Jim Hammett (@JimHammett) November 18, 2022

Stephen: Cummings has cracked double figures in scoring by dropping 11 over the first 12:19 of the second half, but he also picked up his fourth foul right before the penultimate media timeout of the second half. He's going to sit for a spell. With Pitt up 50-48 as the clock winds inside of eight minutes, this will be a tricky situation for Jeff Capel to manage.

Stephen: Blake Hinson and Nelly Cummings have come alive. They've combined for 12 of the Panthers' 17 second half points. Both have played with much more confidence and Cummings even drew a couple of charges to build some positive momentum.

This is a complete reversal of Pitt's second half play from the past two games. They've been the aggressor coming out of intermission and it's 41, all with 11:55 to play in regulation.

Stephen: The Panthers have come out of the gate red hot. They're 4-6 from the field and 1-2 from 3-point distance in the second half and have used a 10-0 run to take their first lead since the 4:37 mark of the first half. Pitt is up 34-32 with less than four minutes into the second half.

Stephen: Pitt is down 28-24 at halftime. They're shooting just 30.8% from the field and have committed nine turnovers, which are unsurprising numbers given that their offense has been pretty one-dimensional.

#Pitt's moving the ball around the perimeter, which is good because it makes the defense move, but they're not taking advantage of the fact that the defense is out of position. Sooo many opportunities for backdoor cuts falling to the wayside.
— stephen thompson (@stephenethom) November 18, 2022

Stephen: The Diaz-Graham twins are leading the Panthers back after they got off to a rocky start. The shots aren't really falling for anyone, but their effort on the defensive end and in the fight for loose balls has sparked a leisurely comeback for Pitt. VCU's made just one field goal over the last 5:20 and carry a one-point lead into the final media timeout of the half. Rams are up 21-20 with 2:44 left before intermission.

Jorge has found a rhythm on the offensive end. He's scored 10 of the Panthers' last 12 points and his brother has the other two.

Stephen: If you know, you know.

Are they playing this game in Brooklyn or Okinawa?
— Chris Peak (@PantherLair) November 18, 2022

Stephen: Foul trouble is beginning to mount for the Panthers. With 11:34 left in the first half, Blake Hinson and Fede Federiko both have two fouls. Capel turns to both the Diaz-Graham twins, Guillermo and Jorge, and Nate Santos in their absence.

Stephen: Pitt leads 5-4 at the first media timeout. Burton and Hinson have the two buckets. They've looked a little bit better over the past couple of minutes but they came out of the gates really slowly. They moved through the motions of their offense slowly and their rotations on defense have not been sharp.

Stephen: Nelly Cummings, Greg Elliot, Jamrius Burton, Blake Hinson and Fede Federiko will start for Pitt. It's the same starting lineup that Capel used in the UT Martin and West Virginia games, plus the Edinboro exhibition, while Hugley was out.

Zeb Jackson, Jayden Nunn, Jamir Watkins, Jalen DeLoach and Brandon Johns Jr. will be the first five on the floor for VCU.

Stephen: Officially official. John Hugley is out.

Stephen: Looks like John Hugley will not play tonight. He's still getting back into game shape and it looks like Jeff Capel wants to manage his workload while he makes his comeback from a knee injury.

John Hugley is in a Pitt jumpsuit/sweats 39 minutes until tip. Unsure of his official status for this game against VCU, but I will keep updating as pregame moves on.
— George Michalowski (@MichalowskiCBB) November 17, 2022

Stephen: Will Pitt turn the page or extend the losing streak? We'll find out in a couple of hours as the Panthers prepare to take on VCU in the second and final game of the Legends Classic.

One big thing to watch for the Panthers tonight is how they try to attack the Rams' defense. They're No. 12 in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency, but better in the paint as opposed to on the perimeter. This is a matchup that plays to Pitt's favor as long as they can make their shots from the outside.

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

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