PITTSBURGH — As if the Panthers’ showing against Duke wasn’t bad enough, Pitt continued its brutal play in the first half against the Orange on Tuesday night.
The Panthers hit 10 of their 30 field-goal attempts in the first half, with eight of those makes coming in the first ten minutes of the half. In the final 9:54 of the first frame, Pitt surrendered a massive 23-6 run to the Orange, led by Chris Bell (4-5 FG) and Judah Mintz (7 points).
The struggles continued in the second half, as Pitt opened the frame shooting 4 for 16 from the field and 1 for 5 from three-point range. Blake Hinson continued to miss, as did Bub Carrington. When those two couldn’t find the bottom of the net, Pitt was forced to take the ball to the rack. Jaland Lowe scored on a few drives, as did Ishmael Leggett. But it was nowhere near enough, especially with Pitt’s forward failing to make an impact inside as well.
While Pitt struggled to find points, Syracuse thrived on the other end, shooting 47% from the field and 59% from three-point range.
“I thought in the first half, I thought they made some really tough shots,” Jeff Capel said. “They made a couple of shots at the end of the shot clock. Coming into the game in conference play, they were making four threes a game. They made six in the first half. Some of them were deflating.”
Syracuse eventually closed out the win with just 69 points, defeating Pitt 69-58. 58 was the Panthers’ third-lowest scoring total of the season. The loss dropped the Panthers to 10-7 (1-5 ACC) on the year.
LOWE A BRIGHT SPOT AGAIN
Had it not been for Jaland Lowe, the Panthers most likely would have lost this game by as many points, if not more, than they lost by to Duke.
Lowe started for the third time this season, and proved to be a spark yet again for the Panthers. The freshman hit eight of his 15 field-goal attempts in the loss, scoring a team and career-high 20 points for Pitt. He hit three of his four free-throw attempts, grabbed three rebounds, dished out three assists, and grabbed a steal.
Lowe showed off his ball-handling ability early, crossing over Syracuse’s Peter Carey en route to a pretty step-back three pointer.
The lefty’s speed, quickness, and smooth dribbling ability allows him to get to his spots on the floor and set up his teammates. Now, with more and more experience under his belt, he is becoming more aggressive, scoring more himself in numerous ways. After surpassing six points just once in the first 12 games, Lowe has now scored at least nine points in each of the last five games, including Tuesday night’s 20-piece.
“I just wanted to win, that’s the only thing on my mind,” Lowe said after the loss. “I wanted to give us a spark, be that guy that stepped up and tried to ignite guys. That was really it, I just wanted to be that spark for everybody.
I am just all-around healthier so I just feel more comfortable out there with everybody. Everybody is pretty comfortable with each other, so, that’s just really it.”
SHOOTING WOES CONTINUE
Pitt once again struggled to shoot the ball well, especially from the three-point line and beyond. On Tuesday night, Pitt shot 35% from the field and 19% from three-point range — an abysmal 5 for 26 night from downtown. The Panthers are now 3-6 when they shoot less than 35% from three-point range, with four of those losses coming in ACC play.
Pitt’s Bub Carrington and Blake Hinson specifically struggled to hit shots on Tuesday night, as Hinson went 4 for 17 and Carrington finished 0 for 10 with 0 points.
Hinson hit at least six field goals in ten of Pitt’s first 12 games this season. Since then, he has not made six field goals once (in Pitt’s past five matchups). In those six games, Hinson is shooting 27% (21 for 77) from the field and 22% (11 for 49) from three-point range.
Carrington, who has won ACC Rookie of the Week three times this season already, is also struggling as of late when it comes to shooting. The Baltimore native has been a bit more consistent than Hinson in ACC play, as he did make six field goals exactly in each game from Dec. 20 to Jan. 6. In the first five games of his collegiate career, Carrington knocked down 14 of his 27 three-point attempts. Since, he has hit just 18 of his 84 three-point tries, a 21% mark.
“WE’RE PRESSING:” CAPEL’S THOUGHTS AFTER LOSS
Here are three quotes from Pitt head coach Jeff Capel following the loss to Syracuse. Check out the full press conference here.
“I love my team,” Capel said. “I think we’re pressing. I think we’re putting pressure on ourselves. Especially here. We have not shot the ball well here. But I do like the shots that we were generating. We have to continue to be tougher, to be together, and to fight through it. To figure out a way to cross that bridge and to become the team that we want to be and that we think that we can be.”
“When I say we’re pressing, then we foul Copeland shooting a three. We want it so bad. They do. They really do. But I just think when it’s not going on our way, it was a really interesting answer and a great answer from an 18-year-old, about, we have to mature. We, collectively as a group, have to mature. And we have to understand that we have to do it together. They are really good guys. I love being around them. They want to be really, really good. They’re searching right now, we’re searching, all of us. I have to do a better job with them. But hopefully as we go forward, we can get back into the rhythm offensively that we were in earlier this year. Again, I thought we generated really good looks early in the game, but they just wouldn’t go down for us.”
“I’m trying to figure out the buttons to push,” Capel said. “Obviously, what I have done has not worked. I’m going to continue to try. We’re going to continue to believe in them, to try to encourrage them, to tell them the truth. we have to colectively as a team, coaches, players, we have to be tougher. We have to be mentally tougher and we have to be physically tougher. I thought in the first half, there were abut five opportunities for us to dive and get a loose ball, and we didn’t do it. That has to become second nature to us. We can’t have huys, where, they take a shot, and we’re running down the court. We had a great play in the second half where Zack blockeda shot. Ish went to go save it, and we’re running down the court. Those plays, that’s what I mean baout the mental toughness to stay in it. We jut ocllectively as a group have to be better, and I have to be better for them.”
It’s really simple, you must put the ball through the hoop. I think Capel might be a good coach though It’s hard to tell. We must find players that shoot for higher percentages.You cannot win games no matter what the strategy with this kind of shooting, period.
Allen Jones
8 months ago
The problem isn’t the players it’s coaching. Lack of discipline. Poor shot selection. Having your 7 footer take 3’s instead of dunks. Each player being a ball hog and not involving the team. We are averaging about 10 assists a game, a game! Having the shortest guy on the court go to the rim when double and triple covered. Not using the right personnel on the floor. Some of the bench guys look good when they are in there.
Just my observations. I have been a die hard Pitt basketball fan since 1973.
Called it preseason and sticking to it. 14-18. Capel is a fraud.
I wanted you to be wrong. But, now I don’t see the 14.
Get a mirror. You’re the fraud.
It’s really simple, you must put the ball through the hoop. I think Capel might be a good coach though It’s hard to tell. We must find players that shoot for higher percentages.You cannot win games no matter what the strategy with this kind of shooting, period.
The problem isn’t the players it’s coaching. Lack of discipline. Poor shot selection. Having your 7 footer take 3’s instead of dunks. Each player being a ball hog and not involving the team. We are averaging about 10 assists a game, a game! Having the shortest guy on the court go to the rim when double and triple covered. Not using the right personnel on the floor. Some of the bench guys look good when they are in there.
Just my observations. I have been a die hard Pitt basketball fan since 1973.
Kansas center shoots three-pointers. It works because tall guys are unguardable from the three-point line