Pitt welcomes the Knights to the Pete
GAME TIME: 8:30 PM
OPPONENT: Farleigh Dickinson Knights
HEAD COACH: Tobin Anderson (1st season)
CONFERENCE: NEC
CURRENT RECORD: 3-3
LAST GAME: W 93-89 @ VMI
2021 SEASON: 4-22 (5-13 10th in NEC) (COVID Cancellation wins only counted for conference record)
TOP PLAYER: G Demetre Roberts-18.8 PPG, 5.2 APG, 3.7 RPG
The Pittsburgh Panthers can get back to .500 tonight with a win against the Farleigh Dickinson Knights of Hackensack New Jersey at the Petersen events center. The Knights have four different players averaging 14+ ppg so far this season, while collectively averaging 86.5 ppg as a team. With that the case, stout defense similar to that of the second half against Alabama State will be key in avoiding another slow start, or potentially an upset at the hands of last year’s NEC cellar-dwellers.
Demetre Roberts, the Knight’s top scorer, will be a player to keep your eye on throughout this matchup. Likely to be matched up against Nelly Cummings, Roberts is a 5’8 guard who transferred from D2 St. Thomas Aquinas, following head coach Tobin Anderson from one job to another.
FDU finds success in being aggressive, a strategy that can be successful when preying on teams with turnover problems like Pitt, but if the Panthers can stay composed and limit the turnover margin, a win should be likely.
It’s also worth noting that FDU has virtually no height on their team, with two starting guards below 5’10” as well as nobody taller than 6’7” on the roster. Pitt needs to establish a presence inside and as a result, expect big games from the likes of Hugley and Hinson.
PREDICTION: Pitt-85 FDU-72
Use this as your game thread for tonight’s matchup.