Pitt men’s basketball falls to Clemson 79-70 for its second consecutive loss

Pitt men’s basketball continued their homestand, which kicked off with a loss to Missouri, by taking on ACC rival Clemson. Pitt fell to Clemson 79-70 to start their ACC campaign. The loss marks the second consecutive for the Panthers, but head coach Jeff Capel thinks the Panthers are better than their play shows. 

“Our team wants more,” said Capel following the Panthers’ loss to Clemson. 

Senior forward Blake Hinson tied his career high in points, and redshirt sophomore Ishmael Leggett logged 17 points. 

Pitt got out to a rough start, allowing 6 straight points to the Tigers. But the Panthers answered this and went on a 9-0 run.

First-year guard Carlton “Bub” Carrington has gotten off to a good start in his collegiate career. But when opposing defenses pressure him, he struggles to handle it. Knowing this, Clemson opened the game with a full-court press and heavy physicality.

Following the Panthers 9-0 run, the game went stagnant for a couple of minutes, with neither team creating much until Carrington made a three.

Clemson’s three-point shooting continued to be an issue for the Panthers, as Tigers’ sophomore forward Chauncey Wiggins got two early. 

Redshirt junior forward Zack Austin, through ten minutes, had logged four points, two rebounds, two assists and a block. 

Both teams kept each other in the game early, with sloppy offense from Clemson and careless fouls from the Panthers. 

Clemson extended their lead to six after a 5-0 run. 

Fifth-year guard Joe Girardthen took over, proving why Clemson is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the nation, making back-to-back attempts from beyond the arc and extending the Tigers’ lead to 10.

Leggett did his best to keep Pitt in the game, driving down the lane for a layup.

This would all be for naught, however, as Girard was fouled on a jumper and converted the three-point play. 

On the other hand, Pitt’s play showed the exact opposite. For a team that was as dominant beyond the arc as they were last year, Pitt finished the first half with just two three-pointers made off of ten attempts. 

The end of the first half was a continuation of much of the same struggles that the Panthers faced earlier in the season —- bad shot selection, inability to handle physicality and perimeter defense. Clemson went into the locker room with 37-26.

At the outset of the second half, Leggett made a statement three-pointer, lessening the halftime lead from 11 to eight. Hinson followed it up with a mid-range jump shot to cut the lead to six. 

Girard then continued his run of dominance, draining another three to stop Pitt’s run. 

Hinson would make quick work of that, however, as he drained another three off of an inbound pass. 

A back-and-forth ensued before the 15-minute mark, as Clemson made two free throws followed by Hinson making one. 

Just before the first media timeout, Pitt’s offensive struggles became exacerbated. Leading into the timeout, Pitt had missed four straight field goals. 

Out of the timeout, Hinson gave Pitt a glimmer of hope, making his third three-pointer of the game. However, Clemson quickly responded, extending its lead to 15. 

Pitt tried to claw back, with Hinson making two-of-three from the free throw line after being fouled deep. A Girard three-pointer pushed the deficit back to 11 before Hinson drained another three to bring the game within eight. 

Later in the half, Hinson brought the deficit to six with yet another three-pointer, bringing his point total to 24, with 18 in the half. 

However, Girard would find another open three-pointer and Clemson extended their lead back to nine.

Out of nowhere, the Panthers went on a run to make it a one-possession game. But after trailing by two, the Panthers couldn’t keep up with the Tigers. 

The game ended in disappointment for the Panthers, as they allowed quick points at the end and let Clemson pull away. The Tigers won 79-70. 

Pitt now holds a two-game losing streak, both of which at home. They take on West Virginia on Dec. 6 in Morgantown in the Backyard Brawl.