PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Shooting 50 percent from the field is going to win you a lot of games, except when you allow 57% field goals and 25 of 40 from two. NC State beat Pitt 74-73 as Au’Diese Toney had a driving attempt at the end and then Justin Champagnie missed a last second long shot off an offensive rebound.
“Wanted to make a play,” head coach Jeff Capel said of the final sequence. “He was 6 for 10 from the field. Diese is a strong driver and had a freshman on him. We wanted to put a shooter over there on the corner, knowing they wouldn’t leave him. The play was just to make a play, whatever play was there.”
“I feel like we have a lack of effort,” Toney said of their defense. “We haven’t got our edge back on defense.”
Panthers have their second, three game losing streak and lost 6 of 7.
“It’s hard to win, especially in February,” Capel said. “We are learning that once again. We have to be tougher. We have to minimize our mistakes and we have to be better defensively.”
Technical problems
Pitt committed three technical fouls resulting in five free points.
Pitt junior guard Xavier Johnson was the first whistled late in the first half after saying something at the NC State bench following a made shot. It’s the second straight game Johnson assessed a technical foul.
“Nothing I’ve said has worked,” Capel said of the T on Johnson. “We been telling him for two and a half years now. Stop talking to the refs. Stop being demonstrative. Nothing we’ve said has worked.”
Freshman Femi Odukale bumped with NC State’s Jericole Hellems and was called for a technical for rolling over on Hellems getting up. Pitt head coach Jeff Capel quickly ran out on the court to protest, although Capel argued that he came out to check on Odukale, who left with an injury. Odukale would return later in the game.
Hellems later called for a technical foul of his own for taunting Justin Champagnie, Champagnie missed both free throws. The sophomore led the Panthers with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
NC State started 1st half hot, Pitt finished hot
NC State hit 14 of its first 21 shots building as large as a 10-point lead. At one point the Wolfpack had as many offensive rebounds as Pitt had total rebounds.
For as hot as the visitor’s start was, the home team actually shot better in the first half. Pitt ended up 62%-FG and 50% from 3 including a Toney three at the buzzer to pull Pitt to within one at half.
Up Next
Another change in the Pitt schedule, Clemson is on pause due to coronavirus positive tests. That caused a postponement of the game on Sunday. Instead, the Panthers will play a rescheduled game against Florida State at home on Saturday at 4p.
The 12-3 Seminoles originally scheduled to host Virginia Tech Saturday. Florida State is coming off a blowout win against first place Virginia.
FSU leads the ACC in scoring at 79.27 points per game and combine that with the fifth best defense (68.87) in the conference. No one shoots better from three (40%) in the ACC. Seminoles second in field goal percentage and field goal percentage defense. They are also 3rd in rebounding margin and second in blocked shots.
So the stats back-up their 8-2 conference record. Panthers pregame begins at 3p on Saturday on 93.7 The Fan.