Men’s Basketball: Pitt drops third straight

The Pitt men’s basketball team had two attempts to tie the game with seconds remaining, but the… The Pitt men’s basketball team had two attempts to tie the game with seconds remaining, but the Panthers were unable to convert a 3-point shot and lost their third consecutive game on Sunday night.

The 66-63 loss to Cincinnati marked the first time the Panthers have lost three straight games since the 2007-2008 season.

Cincinnati’s Jaquon Parker missed the front end of a one-and-one with 28 seconds left and Pitt grabbed the rebound. But freshman guard John Johnson attempted to drive the hoop and got called for the charge, turning the ball back over to Cincinnati.

Sean Kilpatrick missed another front end of a one-and-one for the Bearcats on the next possession. Ashton Gibbs missed a 3-pointer for Pitt, but Lamar Patterson grabbed the offensive rebound. Pitt called timeout to set up a play, but  Patterson missed Pitt’s final 3-point attempt to seal the victory for Cincinnati.

Cincinnati finished the night with 11 steals and 20 points off turnovers. The Bearcats shot 48 percent in the second half, including 50 percent from the 3-point line.

Pitt continued its offensive woes. Freshman guard Johnson and senior power forward Nasir Robinson did their best to keep the Panthers in the game, but even Robinson’s 19 points and 10 rebounds Johnson’s five assists couldn’t make up for the Panthers’ struggles against Cincinnati’s defense and pressure.