Pitt (8-2 overall, 4-1 ACC), rode another game of dominance from first-year forward Justin Champagnie to a 79-73 win over Duke (5-4 overall, 3-2 ACC), the Panthers’ first over the Blue Devils since Feb. 2016.
Justin Champagnie, Jeff Capel and Pitt men’s basketball all made varying returns from different absences on Saturday afternoon and the end result was a blowout 96-76 victory over rival Syracuse.
Pitt men’s basketball (4-1 overall) started strong and cruised to the finish against Gardner-Webb (0-2 overall) for a 67-50 win on Saturday afternoon. The Panthers were fueled by another milestone performance from sophomore forward Justin Champagnie, who became the first Pitt player in program history to record consecutive 20-point, 20-rebound games.
Simply put, Pitt Men’s basketball has been bad on the road under third-year head coach Jeff Capel. The Panthers are 2-20 in true road games with Capel at the helm, but took a step towards flipping that script on Wednesday night.
Nonconference games against non-power five programs aren’t supposed to be stressful. The Panthers first two games of the season featured tight matchups, but Pitt (2-1) finally earned a worry-free blowout victory on Saturday, defeating the Northern Illinois Huskies (0-3) 89-59 at the Petersen Events Center.
Pitt’s “Big 3” of Junior guards Xavier Johnson and Au’Diese Toney, plus sophomore forward Justin Champagnie, came through early and often on Saturday. They combined for 66 points to power the Panthers (1-1 overall) to an 83-74 win over Drexel (0-1 overall).
Jeff Capel revamped his Pitt men’s basketball roster this offseason. Now he opens a season like no other with expectations weighing heavier and heavier.
During the heyday of Pitt men’s basketball in the Big East conference — the period in which former head coach Jamie Dixon’s teams appeared in eight straight NCAA Tournaments between 2004 and 2011 — nearly every borough of New York City was represented on the Panthers’ roster.
But at their most desperate, the Panthers were efficient, tenacious and energetic at the end of a dragging ACC schedule. And after trailing for most of the game, Pitt unearthed a new level of emotion. A 13-4 run in the twilight of the second half propelled the Panthers (16-16 overall, 7-14 ACC) to a 81-72 victory over Wake Forest (14-17 overall, 6-15 ACC) in the first round of the ACC Tournament on Tuesday evening.
Pitt men’s basketball is currently riding a six-game losing streak. The Panthers are sliding at the wrong time, but their schedule grants them a small break. On Wednesday, they get a rematch with the last team they beat.
In their last game of the regular season, the Pittsburgh Panthers (15-15 overall, 6-13 ACC) will travel to Atlanta to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (15-14 overall, 9-9 ACC) on Wednesday night at 9 p.m.
