PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It got so bad for Pitt Monday night, that head coach Jeff Capel apologized to the fans, calling it ‘as bad a performance as any game I’ve ever coached’. Virginia won 73-57 Monday night as Capel called it ‘embarrassing’.
Virginia came into the game 135th in the NET rankings compared to 36 for Pitt and early went on a 17-0 run ballooning to a 23-3 over 8:53 of the first half. Pitt (14-8, 5-6 ACC) has as many turnovers as field goals in the first 20 minutes while Virginia (10-11, 4-8) shot 57%, 4-9 three-pointers.
“Really disappointed in our performance,” Capel said. “It was embarrassing and I’m sorry to the crowd, the students, the fans. It’s my responsibility, I have to do a better job of making sure we are ready to go.”
“Virginia manhandled us at every position and just about every possession. We were bad in every aspect of the game of basketball-turnovers, rebounding, defense, offense, everything. Our body language was bad. They saw it. They fed off of it. It gave them energy.”
“Our inability to guard the ball in the first half, where they just drove us, it was a really, really bad performance from us”
While trying all kinds of lineup combinations, Pitt was only able to get it as close as 14 twice. Even when they got it to a 14-point deficit mid-way through the second half, Virginia quickly went on a 7-0 run to put it out of reach.
Pitt started the game ranked 36th in NET rankings compared to Virginia at 135.
“Didn’t play with any passion, any toughness, any connectivity,” Capel said. “I thought we got embarrassed so then we maybe tried to be cool. That seems to be what young people do today. It was everyone.”
Capel said he’s open to anything and everything in terms of changing up practice, different lineups, whatever. He said when they get back to practice on Wednesday, following a mandated day off by NCAA rules, they have to get to work. He said from leader Jaland Lowe to him, all have to do a better job.
“We will learn from it, hopefully and use it hopefully to make us better,” Capel said.
“We just need to learn from it and take it all in,” said junior Jorge Diaz Graham. “Learn and keep fighting. Nobody is going to stop. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We just have to get together, we can not separate and just overcome this tough stretch.”
“This has to be that game that changes the season. I believe there is still time. I believe we are a good team.”
Notes
· Pitt was outrebounded by 12, it’s the fifth time in ACC play the Panthers have been outrebounded by double digits
· Pitt had only 5 assists to 10 turnovers
· The last game Jaland Lowe shot at least 50% from the floor was January 15 at Florida State
· Pitt started 1-7 from 3 in the first half and finished 6 of 20
· Virginia’s Dai Dai Ames finished with 27 points, 11 above his career high
· Virginia’s Blake Buchanan had a double-double 11 points and 10 rebounds
Up Next
Pitt goes on a two-game road trip starting Saturday at 4p at North Carolina and then Tuesday night at SMU.