On Saturday evening, Pitt men’s basketball faced off against North Carolina, just 11 days after their previous matchup at home in Pittsburgh. After a much needed win over the Tar Heels in their last meeting, the Panthers headed into this highly anticipated game with big hopes. But Pitt couldn’t deliver a win, falling in a nail-biter.
With a Quad One win on the line for Pitt, this game marked a critical defeat, practically cementing the Panthers’ spot as one of the first teams out of the tournament this year. The Panthers have now lost six of their last eight matchups.
Coming in … cold?
The beginning of the game seemed to mimic some of the recent lackluster performances from the Panthers. Pitt couldn’t get its offense going and continued to make careless turnovers. Very few of the shots Pitt managed to get off seemed to find the bottom of the basket.
It’s too late into the season for the offense not to pick up until late into the first or the second half. I think the first few minutes of play are the most important in setting the tone for the entirety of the game.
When the team looks frantic and unbalanced from the start, it already sets the team back. Players lose their shooting confidence, and Pitt often falls into a large point deficit early on. Steady offense from the get-go is crucial this late into the season, and the Panthers didn’t execute this.
It’s the little things
The Panthers kept it a tight game, coming back in the second half and going shot for shot with the Tar Heels. Junior forward Cameron Corhen continued to put points on the board, with help from sophomore guard Jaland Lowe. Lowe was especially helpful in driving to the hoop and drawing fouls — his area of expertise as one of the best shooters from the line in college basketball.
Pitt had the win in its grasp but couldn’t come away with it. Junior forward Guillermo Diaz Graham lost a rebound off of a missed free throw from UNC junior forward Ven-Allen Lubin, which turned out to be a massive lost opportunity. The Panthers also missed a handful of free throws in this game, something they’re usually foolproof on. Those mistakes can seem little, but in the grand scheme of things, they were the difference between a win or a loss in a tight game like this.
Lean in to Cam Corhen
Many of the points in this game were generated by feeding the ball to Corhen while posted up under the hoop. On the other end of the court, Lubin had a lot of success for the Tar Heels offense, putting up 11 points in the first half.
The 6 foot, 10 inches, 225-pound Corhen is a big threat under the basket, and Pitt should utilize him more often for easy scores. Big forwards can prove very successful in producing points in the paint. Although the offensive performance wasn’t particularly strong from the Panthers in the first half, they kept the lead in reach with the score 32-35 going into the half, much in part from the help of Corhen. Utilizing him is something to keep in consideration in the future.
With tournament hopes fizzling out for Pitt, the team must focus on upcoming matchups in order to turn its ACC record around for the end of the season. This upcoming week, the Panthers travel to Dallas to take on SMU and then return home to the Petersen Events Center this Saturday, Feb. 15. Pitt will face off against Miami with tip-off set for noon.
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