PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – For the first 30 minutes of the game the Panthers weren’t making plays, rather another slow start giving up offensive rebounds and uncontested threes. A 46-point second half, keyed by the defense, led to a 80-69 comeback win Tuesday against Syracuse.
“Second half we were terrific,” said Pitt head coach Jeff Capel. “We defended at a really high level. We executed offensively. We made shots and we were able to get a big-time win.”
“Just staying in the fight, we knew they were hitting tough shots,” Leggett said. “We talked about playing with force and defending at a high level.”
Pitt had inched its way from 11 behind early in the second half and down 16 in the first half, to within a possession, but couldn’t get over the hump until 9:28 to play in the game. In front of the Panthers bench senior Ishmael Leggett lined up a three. Holding a pose, Leggett’s shot dropped and Pitt led for the first time.
Defense answered 15 seconds later on a Cam Corhen steal. The center would get the ball back on a lob pass inside. Corhen would gather himself, head-fake and go up and score and was fouled. Next possession, Leggett would hit another three from roughly the same spot and the Panthers were suddenly up seven points.
“Shots went in, it definitely added to the momentum that we were already going in on,” Leggett said. “Big-time shots and my teammates set me up. They trusted me to make them and I made them.”
There were a couple of other big plays including freshman Brandin Cummings converting a three-point play on a drive in the lane to take the lead back up to seven at 6:46. Zach Austin punctuated the win with a slam off a bounce pass from Guillermo Diaz Graham for one of his three assists, tied for the team lead.
In scoring 46 points in the second half, Pitt shot 62.5% from the floor, 60% from three.
“Every time we didn’t do a defensive assignment in the second half, Pitt made us pay,” Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry.
Austin and Leggett tied for the team lead with 19 points, 13 of Leggett’s in the second half and he added seven rebounds. 10 of Austin’s came in the second half, he added three steals and three blocks. Austin credited the ‘Basketball Gods’ for allowing him to score.
Jaland Lowe returned after missing the Miami game due to a concussion. He was 5-10 from the floor, 6-6 from the foul line for 17 points. Cummings finished with 11 points.
Sleeper star
He didn’t score in double-figures, but Guillermo Diaz Graham was lauded by his head coach and teammates after finishing with eight points, eight rebounds, four blocks, three assists and a steal.
“It was as good a game as he played,” Capel said. “And he didn’t get off to a good start, but he fought. I thought his impact on the game was significant in a lot of different areas and he really battled defensively. It was a big-time performance. He earned the playing time tonight.”
“He was a big-time force,” Austin said. “He played with some anger. He played with some toughness. He played gritty and that’s what we need from him every night.”
Rebounds
In the win over Syracuse in the Dome, the Orange stayed in the game by outrebounding Pitt by 17. It started big in their favor as Syracuse was a plus eight at halftime, but Pitt was plus eight in the second half to finish even.
“We went into this game knowing we wouldn’t have a physical advantage, but we needed to gang rebound,” Capel said. “I thought in the second half we did a much better job. They were having their way with us.”
“It was gang rebounding,” Leggett said. “We know Cam and everybody else is going to do their job, but us as guard we have to go down and crack down. Get the long rebounds and everything in-between.”
Moving up
Pitt improved to 16-10, 7-8 in the ACC with a road game at Notre Dame Saturday at 2:15 with Panthers pregame at 1:45 on 93.7 The Fan.
“We need to keep building, coming to work every day with the same attitude,” Leggett said. “This game is behind us. We are focusing on the next one and keeping our foot on the gas.”
Notes
· Guillermo Diaz Graham joined Leggett and Lowe with a team-leading three assists
· Pitt was a +14 points in the paint, +6 second-chance points
· Syracuse had 28 bench points to 13 for Pitt
· Pitt had 8 blocks (4 by Guillermo Diaz Graham, 3 by Austin, 1 by Cummings)
· Pitt’s 46 points in the second half are the most second half points since the Florida State game
· Panthers had 12 assists and 12 turnovers
· Pitt only committed 13 fouls for the game
· 3-point shots—Syracuse 14-33, Pitt 10-23