Three Takeaways from Pitt's Final Game of the Season

After a stunning upset over Stanford to keep their season alive, the Pitt Panthers ran out of luck against NC State in the second round of the ACC Tournament.

Pitt still fought hard until the end, but this game was a lot different than the win over Stanford. The matchup with NC State featured much more offensive power. The final score was 98-88, the most points Pitt had in ACC play this season despite the ten-point loss.

Letting it Fly

In the entire game against Stanford, Pitt knocked down just three 3-pointers. Ten minutes into the game against NC State, they had doubled that with six 3-pointers made. Despite the poor shooting from last game, the Panthers were not afraid to attempt a three pointer when they had the slightest space to work with.

Nojus Indrusaitis was especially a flamethrower, going 5/8 from three, which included multiple long or contested shots. Indrusaitis has averaged 14.6 points in his last five games of the season.

Omari Witherspoon and Barry Dunning Jr. also knocked down three 3-pointers of their own. Overall, Pitt shot 44.4% from three. Not a bad stat, but NC State was able to match it with 13 three pointers of their own.

What helped Pitt win against Stanford was dominating the offensive boards, getting 20 to just Stanford's seven. This game, Pitt grabbed just six offensive rebounds and 23 rebounds overall. As both teams didn't miss nearly as much as in Pitt's first tournament game, there wasn't as many rebounds to grab.

Cam Corhen left it all on the floor in what is likely his final collegiate game. The center put up 27 points on 75% shooting, seven rebounds and hit nine of his 11 free throw attempts. The one issue he had was the five turnovers and flagrant foul which turned around any momentum Pitt had at the end.

Fouls and Turnovers

Pitt has definitely gotten over their free throw shooting problems from earlier in the season, shooting 80% from the line on 25 attempts. But, NC State was given about the same amount of free throws to match.

Pitt wasn't given the same grace from the refs for their physical defense as last game, especially in the first half. It ended up evening out, but four different Panthers finished the game with three or more fouls.

Turnovers were another problem that plagued the Panthers. There were multiple times where a player off the ball was making a good cut to the basket, but the ball carrier just couldn't make a good pass and NC State ended up with the ball on a fastbreak.

Corhen ended the game with five turnovers while Witherspoon had four of his own.

Pitt head coach Jeff Cape — Mar 11, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Jeff Capel III reacts in the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Capel's Last Game?

There has been a lot of talk about head coach Jeff Capel and if his eighth season with Pitt will be his last. Capel was able to coach three decent games in a row with the team's back against the wall. But, another season that ends without an NCAA Tournament appearance will still leave a sour taste.

Syracuse was quick to fire their head coach Adrian Autry of three seasons just the day after their elimination from the ACC Tournament. Pitt might not be so quick to do so with Capel, as Stephen Thompson of the Post-Gazette reports that athletic director Allen Greene is preparing to talk with Capel about his future in the coming days.

Capel's record with the Panthers over his tenure is currently 127-127.

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