Pitt men’s basketball fought hard, keeping it close the majority of the game, but ran out of gas late Tuesday night versus Duke. The Panthers fell to the Blue Devils 70 to 54.
Duke dominates in the paint
Duke dominated in the paint, scoring 36 points to Pitt’s 22. Heavily relying on their top scorer, first-year forward Cameron Boozer shot an efficient six of nine for 17 points and a three-pointer.
The story for the Panthers was the complete opposite. They lived and died by the three-ball, chucking up 33 attempts while shooting 27% from beyond the arc.
“You know, they’re big, they’re big in every position,” Jeff Capel said, explaining why Pitt tried so many threes against Duke. “And so it’s difficult at times to get to the rim against them.”
The Blue Devils, meanwhile, only made 23 three-point attempts, sinking nine of them for 39% and really heating up in the second half.
Turnovers galore
Turnovers were handed out left and right. The Panthers turned the ball over 12 times, including a shot-clock violation that went under review, ultimately costing them three points. Pitt’s aggressive defense helped keep the deficit close but caused 10 turnovers. This included three steals by first-year guard Omari Witherspoon, which disappointingly only led Pitt to two points off turnovers.
The depth scoring for Duke was a huge difference maker, with the Blue Devils’ 13 bench points outweighing Pitt’s total of two. Pitt’s first points from the bench did not come until the second half.
Despite the star power Duke holds, it was the efforts of their role players that won them this game. On the other side, Pitt dealt with a serious lack of bench support, with only two points coming from them. The Panthers’ main source of offense came from first-year forward Roman Siulepa, who led with 19 points. Senior guard Barry Dunning Jr. chipped in with 15 as well.
Opportunities blown
The Panthers had their fair share of chances throughout the game. Pitt stole the ball 11 times compared to Duke’s six. Despite this effort, Pitt was not able to capitalize on its opportunities, often attempting a tough three-point shot instead of getting the easy layup and failing to produce off turnovers.
What’s next
Pitt will travel to UNC on Saturday for a Valentine’s Day matchup against the Tar Heels, who will look to bounce back from an upset loss to Miami on Tuesday night.
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