Pitt, on the season, was shooting 33.9 percent from three, averaging 9.1 makes per game.
When they’re good, they’re good – 10-of-25 in the win over Notre Dame on Feb. 3, 10-of-20 in the win at Duke back on Jan. 20.
And when they’re bad, they still shoot a lot of threes – 11-of-36 in a loss at Miami on Jan. 27, 5-of-26 in a loss at home to Syracuse on Jan. 16, 5-of-29 in a loss at home to UNC on Jan. 2.
Either way, they hoist up threes – the 26.9 attempts per game ranks in the top 10 percent nationally, even if the percentage ranks in the bottom half.
Pitt lives by the three, dies by three.
They lived a lot in JPJ, shooting 14-of-32 from long-range in the 74-63 win.
The team didn’t even get to the arena until 5:30 p.m., an hour and a half before tipoff, which I know because I walked in the security gate with them.
Turns out they didn’t need much time to get acclimated to the arena, which is known for offering tough sightlines for those not used to the backdrop.
The Panthers made five of their first eight as they built an early seven-point lead, and kept firing away from there.
Nothing Tony tried, unfortunately, worked
Tony Bennett, trying to find an answer, had none – though not for lack of trying.
It seemed to me that he went away too soon from playing Jordan Minor at the five spot. Minor got just eight minutes, subbing out for the last time at the 17:30 mark of the second half, moments after a nice sequence in which he defended Blake Hinson and forced a miss from three, then scored on a nice up-and-under at the rim.
Minor was the only Cavalier with a positive plus/minus rating on the night – at a modest +6.
Bennett decided to go with his more mobile bigs to try to defend Pitt’s bombs-away offense – Blake Buchanan, Minor’s backup, got 13 minutes (-11), and Jake Groves got 24 minutes (-8).
Per numbers from Synergy Sports, Buchanan was responsible for one made three on two shots from the field on defense; Groves gave up eight points on 3-of-4 shooting.
The other Virginia big, Ryan Dunn, was on the hook for eight points on D, on 4-of-6 shooting.
Rim protector
Dunn did record five (!) blocked shots.
Pitt was just 8-of-18 on shots at the rim.
The five blocks by Dunn are a big reason why.
Miami, we barely remember you
Just eight nights ago, Miami, which had been averaging 80.8 points per game coming in, scored just 38 in a loss in JPJ.
Since, the Virginia D has given up 76 points on 59 possessions in the win at Florida State, and then the 74 on 59 possessions in the loss to Pitt tonight.
The ‘Hoos were able to claw its way to the win at FSU with offense. Bennett tried in the final 10 minutes to find a defensive solution, and bogged down his offense, which only produced 11 points on 3-of-12 shooting as Pitt pulled away.
Chairmen of the boards
Topline, Pitt had a 35-25 rebound advantage. More to the point, Pitt had 11 offensive rebounds, which the Panthers turned into 13 points.
The 13-2 edge for Pitt in second-chance points is also the final margin.
Seven of the second-chance points came in the final 10:15.
Share
Chris Graham
