PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It just seemed lethargic from the beginning, there was never any energy in the building and the Panthers (10-7, 1-5) didn’t help provide any. Syracuse (12-5, 3-3) ran out to an 11-point halftime lead and it never got closer than eight in the second half as the Orange swept the season series, winning 69-58 Tuesday.
“I love my team, but I think we are pressing,” said Pitt head coach Jeff Capel. “I think we are putting pressure on ourselves especially here (at the Petersen Events Center). I do like the shots we are generating. We have to continue to be tougher, to be together and to fight through it. To figure out a way to cross that bridge and become the team that we want to be and think we can be.”
“It is being mature,” said guard Jaland Lowe. “It’s a next play thing.
It’s a mindset. If we are not making shots, we need to make sure we get back on the other end and not let it affect our play.”
It was the Panthers who had the early run Tuesday. Early in the first half, a 9-0 advantage and it was Pitt up six. There was nothing consistent from the Panthers offense or defense from that point forward.
The stats back up Pitt’s struggles
· 9th time this season Pitt has allowed a team to shoot 45% or better
· Last three games allowing 51% to Louisville, 52% to Duke and 47% to Syracuse.
· Pitt has not had more assists than its opponent in ACC play this year, 13 to 11 Orange on Tuesday.
· Panthers scored under 60 points in three of the last four games
· Pitt shot 35% FG, 19% (5-26) from 3 for the game, 1-12 from 3 in the second half
“We collectively as a group have to mature,” Capel said. “We have to understand that we have to do it together. They are really good guys. I love being around them. They want to be really, really good.”
“We are searching, all of us. I have to do a better job with them. Hopefully as we go forward, we can get back in the rhythm offensively that we were in earlier this year. I thought we generated really good looks earlier in the game, they wouldn’t go down for us.”
Hinson hits and misses
At one point this season senior Blake Hinson led the NCAA in three-point field goals made and percentage. Hinson had a run of shooting 26-37 from three from the Missouri game through the South Carolina State game. Since then, the results are much different. In the last six games, he is 11-49, including 2-11 on Tuesday (3-18 on the season against the Orange).
“There is no one who wants it more than him for this for this program, for this city for this university, for this student section,” Capel said. “As a player, you know when you are struggling. Sometimes you try to go get it even more.”
“We just have to keep encouraging him. We need him to be him. Those shots and plays will eventually fall.”
Bub Carrington also struggled against Syracuse, his first college game without a point. The freshman was 0-10 from the field, 0-7 from three with seven rebounds and two assists.
“He’s obviously down because he’s a talented player,” Capel said. “He’s a good player and had an outstanding year so far. Bub is a confident kid, but look, when you are 18-years-old and you are a freshman and struggling. At times you can feel like you are letting your team down.”
“The thing I constantly tell him. Just like when we were winning and he was playing well. He wasn’t winning for us. We were winning. It’s not a singular thing. He knows he has to be better and he will be better.”
Career high
Jaland Lowe scored 16 points in the second half to finish with a career-high 20 points (8-15 FG).
“I just wanted to win,” Lowe said first 20-point game as a college player. “That was the only thing on my mind. I wanted to give us a spark. Be that guy that just stepped up, tried to ignite guys. That was really it. I just wanted to be that spark for everybody.”
Luggage combination
It’s something you rarely see outside of maybe grade school. The entire Orange starting lineup was in numerical order.
· 1-Maliq Brown
· 2-JJ Starling
· 3-Judah Mintz
· 4-Chris Bell
· 5-Justin Taylor
Up Next
Panthers at Duke on Saturday at 8p. It is the second of two Hoops4ALS games, for more information on how you can donate to help find a cure for ALS, please visit ‘als.net/donate/pittduke’