Hokies struggle to maintain their lead late in the 64

BLACKSBURG — Jaland Lowe led the charge for No. 18 Pitt with 19 points, securing a 64-59 win against Virginia Tech on Saturday during the Atlantic Coast Conference debut for both squads at Cassell Coliseum.

Lowe managed to sink only 6 out of 16 field goals but successfully converted all six of his free throws, including four in the last 25 seconds, enabling the Panthers (8-2, 1-0) to recover from a previous 33-point setback to Mississippi State on Wednesday. He was instrumental in scoring 15 of the Panthers’ last 21 points.

Ishmael Leggett contributed 17 points for the Panthers, who clinched the victory despite a shooting percentage of 41.1%.

Tobi Lawal was at the forefront for Virginia Tech (3-6, 0-1) with 16 points, while Jaden Schutt added 14 points for the Hokies, who are now on a streak of six straight losses.

Virginia Tech managed to score only three points over the last 5:19, and they failed to convert on their last seven attempts. The Panthers were in pursuit throughout the second half, until Lowe’s driving layup with 50 seconds on the clock gave Pitt a 60-59 lead.

Takeaways

Pitt: The Panthers spent less than three minutes in the lead during the game but exhibited resilience in the closing moments, providing the perfect remedy to soften the blow from their earlier defeat.

Virginia Tech: The Hokies demonstrated stronger play against the Panthers for a majority of the matchup and appeared set to secure a win, but their inability to shoot effectively late in the game resulted in another defeat.

Key moment

Virginia Tech was ahead 56-51 with under four minutes remaining, but Lowe nailed his sole 3-pointer with 3:04 left, narrowing the deficit to 56-54. He went on to net 11 of the Panthers’ last 13 points.

Key stat

The Hokies’ 17 turnovers granted Pitt 17 points. Virginia Tech has committed at least 15 turnovers in six out of their nine games this season.

Up next

Virginia Tech is set to host North Carolina A&T on Thursday at 7 p.m.