Story Links Upcoming Game: Eastern Kentucky 12/11/2024 | 7 PM ACCN Extra 93.7 The Fan Dec. 11 (Wed) / 7 PM Eastern Kentucky History BLACKSBURG, Va. – Jaland Lowe tallied 13 of his game-high 19 points within the last 8:02 to propel Pitt to a thrilling 64-59 victory against Virginia Tech Saturday afternoon. The Panthers […]
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Upcoming Game:
Eastern Kentucky
12/11/2024 | 7 PM
ACCN Extra
93.7 The Fan
Dec. 11 (Wed) / 7 PM
Eastern Kentucky
History
BLACKSBURG, Va. –Jaland Lowe tallied 13 of his game-high 19 points within the last 8:02 to propel Pitt to a thrilling 64-59 victory against Virginia Tech Saturday afternoon. The Panthers closed the game with a 6-0 run and outscored the Hokies 15-3 in the last 3:57 to improve their record to 8-2 overall and 1-0 in the ACC.
Lowe garnered 15 of his 19 points during the second half, along with five rebounds, two assists, and a personal best four steals. Ishmael Leggett added 17 points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Guillermo Diaz Graham and Zack Austin combined for 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Pitt faced challenges with their shooting but managed to overcome an eight-point deficit at halftime with a strong defensive performance in the second half. The Panthers restricted Virginia Tech to just 23 points and 33.3 percent shooting (8-of-24) in the latter period.
Virginia Tech made five of six shots during a 2:41 stretch to lead 13-7 at the first media timeout before Pitt stabilized and began to take charge of the game. Austin sank a three-pointer at the 13:42 mark to halve the gap, and Leggett added a jumper to bring the Panthers within one at the under 12 media timeout.
Pitt extended their momentum with a dunk by Guillermo Diaz Graham from a baseline assist by Leggett. Leggett dove for a loose ball on the subsequent defensive possession, and the Panthers moved the ball upcourt for a driving finish by Brandin Cummings, taking a 16-13 lead after a 9-0 run.
Leggett maintained his strong first half with his third three-pointer, giving the Panthers a 26-23 lead with 5:31 left before halftime. Virginia Tech responded with a 9-0 streak, getting two threes from Jaden Schutt and another from Jaydon Young to reclaim the lead.
Virginia Tech finished the half strong with a 13-2 run, keeping the Panthers scoreless for the last 2:37, leading to a 36-28 halftime advantage. Pitt had nine turnovers in the first half and converted only 4-of-16 (.250) from three-point range, entering halftime trailing for the third straight game.
Pitt emerged after halftime with focused defensive intent. They reduced the deficit to two points with an Austin mid-range jumper at the 16:07 mark. For the next seven minutes, the game remained within a two-possession margin before back-to-back steals and scores by Austin and Lowe cut the gap to 50-49 with 5:19 left.
Pitt went ice-cold from the floor, while Virginia Tech pulled ahead 56-49 following a three-point play by Tyler Johnson and a three-pointer by Schutt with 5:19 on the clock. Schutt’s fourth three of the game would be the Hokies’ last basket since they went 0-of-7 from the field down the stretch.
Leggett ignited the comeback with two free throws after the under four-minute media timeout, and Lowe followed up with a three from the top of the key for a 56-54 deficit. Tobi Lawal converted a pair of free throws for Tech before Lowe responded promptly.
The sophomore point guard finished a driving layup through contact and forced a turnover on the next Hokie possession. Pitt struggled to cut the two-point lead but secured another defensive stop with Guillermo Diaz Graham getting fouled on the rebound.
Diaz Graham made both free throws to tie the game at 58. Lawal split a pair of free throws with 1:09 remaining before Lowe finally gave the Panthers their first lead since the 5:31 mark of the first half with another driving finish through traffic.
The Panthers’ defense stepped up impressively as Guillermo Diaz Graham held his position and blocked a shot attempt from Ben Burnham, with Lowe grabbing the rebound and knocking down a pair of free throws for a three-point lead with 25 seconds left.
Virginia Tech attempted a deep three-pointer to tie the game, but Austin had a phenomenal game and the shot clanged harmlessly off the rim. Lowe secured the rebound and was fouled, making both free throws to clinch the victory for the Panthers.
Lawal led the Hokies with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, while Schutt finished with four three-pointers and a total of 14 points.
PERFECT FROM THE LINE Pitt concluded the day with an impeccable 12-of-12 from the free-throw line, including 6-of-6 in the final 90 seconds. Lowe secured the win by hitting 4-of-4 from the charity stripe in the last 30 seconds of the game.
DOMINATING THE BOARDS Pitt rebounded impressively after a significant portion of the game where they were out-rebounded, finishing with a 31-30 rebounding advantage. All five starters contributed five or more rebounds, with Guillermo Diaz Graham leading with a game-high seven boards. Pitt is now 7-0 this season when winning or tying in rebounding.
CRUCIAL PLAYS BY G Guillermo Diaz Graham overcame a lackluster shooting day (1-of-7 from three) to make several significant contributions in the second half. His only three-pointer came midway through the half to reduce a four-point deficit. He made a pivotal defensive block with 1:34 left and drew a foul, then calmly sank both free throws to tie the game at 58. The junior forward also added a blocked shot with 30 seconds remaining while the Panthers led by one.
LOOKING AHEAD Pitt is set to play Eastern Kentucky at home on Wednesday, Dec. 11, concluding a 22-day stretch between games at the Petersen Events Center.
