Rebounding Issues Cost Pitt in Louisville Loss: ‘That was the Game’

PITTSBURGH — “We didn’t rebound the basketball, and that’s the reason we lost,” Jeff Capel said at the end of his opening statement after Saturday’s loss to Louisville.

Louisville Dominates Offensive Glass as Pitt Drops Second Straight Game

Capel’s Pitt Panthers fell to Louisville 82-78, in front of the home crowd at the Petersen Events Center. Pitt was out-rebounded 44 to 31 in the loss, marking the 7th game this year with less than 35 rebounds for Pitt. Louisville dominated the offensive glass, too, grabbing 17 offensive rebounds compared to Pitt’s five. The Cardinals scored 22 points off of offensive rebounds.

“Disappointed that we didn’t rebound the basketball better,” Capel said after the game. “That was the game. They had 17 offensive rebounds, they had 22 second-chance points, they had 36 points in the paint, and the majority of them came from offensive rebounds. The one common denominator in all four losses that we’ve had is that we’ve gotten beaten pretty significantly on the glass. That’s an area where we have to change — we, collectively, as a group. I have to do a better job of enforcing it more and doing more stuff in practice and film. Even more than what we’re doing, because obviously, it hasn’t gotten through.”

In Pitt’s four losses, the Panthers have grabbed 31, 29, 27, and 26 rebounds, respectively, for an average of 28.3 per game. In the Panthers’ 12 wins this year, they have averaged 38 rebounds per game, and even grabbed as many as 45 against West Virginia and 47 against VMI.

“Whatever it is, we’ve got to clean it up,” Damian Dunn said about the team’s rebounding troubles. “They [Louisville] got probably the majority of their points throughout the game off second chances and offensive rebounds, so, it’s really just up to us to switch the narrative and just get prepared for the next.”

When asked what has to change for this team to rebound the ball better, Capel replied, “We have to go after the ball, we have to find it, we have to locate it, and we have to get it.”

Dunn and Capel both expressed confidence that the Panthers will overcome the rebounding struggles.

“We’ve done it before,” Dunn said. “We’re built for it. All of this being a part of the process, with everybody, just taking it game by game. Also, knowing that we have another opportunity ahead of us. We’ve definitely got to study this one, and watch it, and look at it, but we can learn from it.”

Pitt’s next game comes on Wednesday, Jan. 15 against Florida State in Tallahassee at 9 p.m.