Pitt Obliterates ACC-Worst Louisville Behind Sharp-Shooting Guards, 91-57

PITTSBURGH — Behind nine different scorers, Jeff Capel’s Pitt Panthers earned their tenth ACC win of the season in a dominant win over Louisville on Tuesday night by a score of 91-57.

Five players scored in double figures, led by Nike Sibande’s 15-point outing. Greg Elliott hit four of his five three-point attempts in the win, adding 14 points of his own in the rout. Starters Nelly Cummings and Blake Hinson also hit three threes apiece, as the Panthers hit 16 three pointers to sink Louisville. Freshman forward Guillermo Diaz-Graham also added 11 points in the victory.

For the first time since 2014, Pitt has reached the ten-win mark in the ACC.

Louisville hung around with Pitt out of the gates behind a red-hot Mike James, who hit three early threes in the first seven minutes. However, the Panthers would not let the Cardinals stick around much longer.

Kickstarted by two Diaz-Graham free throws and Elliott’s third three of the night, Pitt exploded for a 24-3 run that included five three pointers. Nate Santos, Sibande, and Diaz-Graham all scored in the run off the bench, and starters Hinson, Jamarius Burton, and Elliott also contributed.

At the break, Pitt led by 20 points, earning its largest halftime lead in conference play and burying the Cardinals early. Sibande showed off his creativity, hitting numerous shots off the dribble and from beyond the arch en route to nine first-half points. Overall, in the first frame, Pitt had 14 assists on 16 buckets, shooting 62% from the field and 60% from three-point range.

Capel’s Panthers never took their foot off the gas, opening the second half on a 13-1 run behind more threes from their transfer sharpshooters Elliott, Hinson, and Cummings.

As a team, Pitt shot 55% from the field and 55% from three-point range in the win. Pitt set a season-high in assists in the win, dishing out 23. Cummings and Elliott each passed out six assists, while Burton and Hinson had three apiece.

Louisville shot under 30% from the field as well as from three-point range in the first half, struggling to buy a bucket against Pitt’s defense. In the second half, the Cardinals looked to Hercy Miller and Emmanuel Okorafor for help offensively, but it was too little, too late as Pitt’s offense never slowed down.

Mike James led the Cardinals with 11 and Miller added ten as Louisville fell to 3-21 on the year.

Pitt’s 34-point win is the largest margin of victory for the Panthers in a conference game since Pitt beat Providence on Jan. 25, 1988 behind Jerome Lane’s infamous slam.

With the win over Louisville, Pitt advances to 17-7 overall and 10-3 in ACC play, and is now tied for first place in the league along with Clemson at 10-3. The Panthers have now swept the season series with Louisville, and have won each of the last three meetings against the Cardinals.

Pitt will head back out on the road after this one, as its next game comes on Saturday, Feb. 11 at Florida State. That game will tip off at 12 p.m. EST on ESPNU.