Takeaways: Pitt Puts On Worst Performance of Season

The Pitt Panthers endured their worst loss of the season vs. Virginia.

Feb 3, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Jorge Diaz Graham (31) attempts to pass the ball as Virginia Cavaliers guard Andrew Rohde (4) and forward Blake Buchanan (right) defend during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers had an all-around, terrible showing vs. Virginia at the Petersen Events Center, as they put on their worst performance of the season.

Terrible Starts Plague Pitt Once Again

Pitt has started poorly in many games this season, but this is especially apparent in ACC play.

They've trailed at halftime in nine of the 11 games they played. The only exceptions are their comeback, 83-68 win over Stanford at home on Jan. 4, and their previous game, as they lost 76-74 to Wake Forest on the road on Feb. 1.

Virginia went on a 17-0 early on, which extended to 23-3, taking a 24-7 lead with eight minutes remaining in the period and eventually building a 20-point advantage, 30-10 with 4:46 left.

The closest the Panthers got within the Cavaliers was 13 points late in the first half, but they never amounted any serious comeback in the defeat.

Pitt cannot continue these bad starts in games at this point in the season, when every game is crucial and win is needed for their NCAA Tournament hopes.

Pitt Poses No Answer to Ames, Virgina Offense

Virginia sophomore guard Dai Dai Adams had the best game of his college career in the win over PItt

He scored a career-high 27 points, shooting 11-for-16 from the field, 3-for-6 from behind the arc and making both of his free throws. He scored 16 of those points in the first half, shooting 7-for-9 from the field and 2-for-3 from deep, helping the Cavaliers build their early lead.

Ames had come into this game against Pitt scoring double digis in just one game in the ACC, which was his last one, just 11 points in the loss to rival Virginia Tech on Feb. 1.

He was averaging 6.2 points per game coming into the matchup with Pitt and had two games in the ACC where he didn't score a single point.

Panthers head coach Jeff Capel didn't like the effort from his team at all, especially with how they dealt with Ames.

"...We let a guy, and hats off to Ames, but guy’s averaging 6.8 points, destroy us," Capel said. "And he did it. He saw it earlier in the game with the drive, knocked us off balance. We didn’t stand up to him and it got him going and it was a huge basket for him."

Virginia, as a team, shot 56.0% from the field and 45.5% from 3-point range, making 10-of-22 attempts. This ranked as the second highest field goal percentage and fourth highest 3-point percentage that Pitt allowed from an opponent this season, respectively.

The Panthers struggled mightily staying on the ball and preventing good chances and also allowed the Cavaliers to build momentum, keeping them far ahead throughout the contest.

"...We were bad in every aspect of the game of basketball," Capel said. "Turnovers, rebounding, defense, offense, everything and our body language was bad. They saw it, they fed off it, it gave them energy. Our inability to guard the ball in the first half, when they just drove us. It was a really, really bad performance from us."

Starting Lineup Goes Missing for Pitt

The Pitt starters had, collectively, their worst performance of the season as well in the loss to Virginia.

Senior guard Ishmael Leggett was the only solid performer on the night, scoring 17 points and shooting 7-of-11 from the field.

The other four starters combined for 22 points, shot 7-for-22 from the field and 2-for-10 from 3-point range.

Forwards in redshirt senior Zack Austin and junior Cameron Corhen, plus graduate student guard Damian Dunn scored five points each. Sophomore guard Jaland Lowe finished with just seven points.

Capel went to his bench, bringing on forwards in juniors, Jorge and Guillermo Diaz Graham, plus redshirt freshman Papa Amadou Kante, plus freshman guard Brandin "Beebah" Cummings.

The subsitutes brought something, but not enough throughout the game to get the team over their big deficit.

Pitt needs their five best players having the most output and production and if they have more performances like they did vs. Virginia, they won't win many or any ACC games the rest of the season.

NCAA Tournament Hopes Take Big Hit

Pitt came into this game amongst the "Last Four In" for the NCAA Tournament amongst many bracketologists and needed to avoid a poor loss.

This defeat for Pitt is a Quad 3 loss in the NET rankings, their only one of the season so far, but their worst of the campaign by far. Not only was it at home, but they also lost by 16 points.

Pitt has just one Quad 1 win, and while they have five Quad 2 wins, they can't suffer any more poor losses in the ACC.

They have three remaining Quad 1 games, all on the road, coming back-to-back vs. North Carolina on Feb. 8 and SMU on Feb. 11, plus Louisville on March 1.

Pitt will need to win at least one, but preferrably two of these, win all of their home games and get Quad 2 wins on the road vs. Notre Dame and NC State, to still make a serious shot at the NCAA Tournament.

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