Panthers’ problems persist as skid hits seven
Offense shows life, but N.C. State wins, 79-76
As he got toward the end of his answer about what his Pitt team gathered from N.C. State in their first matchup four weeks earlier, Jared Wilson-Frame returned to a familiar theme.
It wasn’t about the opponent. The Panthers had learned effectively everything they needed to about the Wolfpack in an 86-80 loss Jan. 12 in Raleigh, N.C. Besides, in the ACC at this point in the season, all teams are familiar with one another, if even just from watching hours of film.
Rather, as he dwelled on a 79-76 loss Saturday at Petersen Events Center, the setback was about something else.
“It’s just about us,” Wilson-Frame said.
“It’s about us,” teammate Sidy N’Dir, sitting a few inches to his right, repeated softly.
A seven-game losing streak has left Pitt to look within itself, trying to find whatever cure for its woes may be available. In the most recent loss, it was plagued by problems both within its control and largely outside of it.
The Panthers (12-12, 2-9 ACC) fell to .500 for the first time since the season
began in early November. Lacking size beyond two less-than-polished big men, they surrendered 20 offensive rebounds on 38 of N.C. State’s missed shots. A squad that relies heavily on two freshmen as ballhandlers was forced into 15 turnovers. Both factors were complicated by a Wolfpack team that is among the 20 best Division I programs in getting offensive rebounds and creating miscues.
Some of the problems, though, went beyond the flaws on which Pitt can justifiably fall back this season, as much as it would like not to. Some of it was, as WilsonFrame said, just about them.
N.C. State (17-7, 5-6), which came into the game 11th of 15 ACC teams in 3-point percentage (.306) in conference play, made a season-high 51.9 percent of its shots from beyond the arc, tied for the highest percent the Panthers had allowed in a game this season. Four Wolfpack players who attempted multiple 3s made at least 50 percent of them.
Pitt coach Jeff Capel said some of that could be attributed to his team, as it got tired in a zone defense it was forced into playing for long stretches due to foul trouble plaguing some of its most important players (namely, guards Xavier Johnson and Trey McGowens). That fatigue didn’t allow the Panthers to rotate as quickly, giving N.C. State good, open looks. In other instances, the 3-pointers were more out of their control.
“Some of them, they just made,” Capel said. “Some of them, I’m not saying they were dare shots, but we kind of played the percentages with a couple of guys and they stepped up and made some.”
The Wolfpack’s outrageous percentage from 3 helped negate one of Pitt’s best offensive showings this season. It made 47.3 percent of its shots (its second-best mark in 11 ACC games), 42.1 percent of its 3s (third-best) and averaged 1.15 points per possession.
Johnson led a group of five players in double figures with 17 points and just one turnover in 25 minutes. Wilson-Frame continued a recent tear with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including 4 of 5 from 3, while N’Dir and Terrell Brown each added 12, with the former getting a team high six assists and the latter a team-high five blocks.
The offense faded late, though, as Pitt made only one of its final 11 shots, which Capel attributed to the Panthers focusing more on drawing contact or anticipating contact than on finishing.
“It’s all the little things we’ve got to fix to put together a full 40 minutes,” Wilson-Frame said. “It’s getting tiring talking about it. We’ve got to do it. We have to do whatever it takes to win. That’s got to be the mentality of the team. We say we want to be like that and we try to do that when we go out there, but it’s got to actually get done.”
Pitt was only in the position it was late because of a spirited 182 run over a stretch of 4:27 in the second half. The Panthers turned a 14-point deficit into a two-point lead, aided largely by nine points on three 3s from Wilson-Frame.
With his team trailing by three, 78-75, N’Dir was fouled with seven seconds remaining so he couldn’t tie the score on a single shot. He made the first free throw before missing the second, with N.C. State’s C.J. Bryce getting the rebound and drawing a foul. Bryce, too, made the first free throw and missed the second, allowing Pitt one final chance to send the game into overtime. A contested, contorted 3 from N’Dir at the top of the key, however, went awry.
Pitt’s players and coaches walked off the court, their second heartbreaking loss of the week only seconds behind them.
“I wish there was something we could do to get this feeling out of us,” Capel said, “but we have to continue to fight.”