Just a day removed from their humiliating loss to Louisville, Pitt manages to avoid a two game skid by beating Boston College 84-61. The win moves the Panthers into a two-way tie for third in the ACC with Virginia Tech.
Recap:
When the game started and it felt like Pitt was still in Louisville, after the Eagles stormed out hitting four of their first six shots en route to a 10-2 advantage. Like it has been many times this season, it was Jamel Artis who shook the Panthers out of their funk. First he drilled a three to cut the deficit to five and then used that momentum to guide his team on a 15-2 run, Artis accounting for 10. From that point it seemed like Pitt was ready seize complete control of the game, but Boston College’s Eli Carter would not let that happen. He carried his team throughout the first half cutting the nine point Panther lead to just one with 2:49 left in the half. Artis and Young managed to hit a few more shots before half to make it 43-36 at the break.
Carter seemed determined to build upon his 18 point first half, after scoring four more in just the first three minutes of the second half. Young and Artis once again came to rescue doubling the five-point lead to force a Boston College timeout with under 14 minutes to go. In the next six minutes Carter would fight with everything he had trying to match Pitt by himself. However, the lead would continue to grow for Dixon’s squad aided by Cameron Johnson’s 17-second half points. A 20-point lead and only four minutes left spelled doom for the Eagles and in mop up time Pitt’s lead finally settled at 23 when the final whistle blew.
Jamel Artis was the star who carried the offense during Pitt’s slow start. For the game he finished with a team high 22 points to go along with 3 rebounds and 3 assists. His partner in crime, Michael Young, had an efficient 13 points while also adding nine assists and five rebounds to his effort. Cameron Johnson was locked in all game putting up 20 points, hitting 4-7 from deep. James Robinson was the last Pitt player in double figures with 10.
Positives:
Jamel Artis- He struggled against Louisville like everybody else, but on Saturday he was locked in all game. When they needed a bucket he was there, especially from three as he hit four of his six attempts. He now averages over 16 points a game while shooting over 50% from the field and 40% from three.
Michael Young Double Team- Louisville doubled Young in the post every time he caught and it led to four turnovers by him. Against Boston College, though a far inferior opponent, Young looked more comfortable operating out of the double team. He recorded nine assists and if he passes like that teams will no longer be able to double him.
Cameron Johnson- His shooting all season has been steady and after this past game his three-point percentage sits over 40%. That knock down perimeter shooting will be invaluable in future conference games, which is why his minutes should increase.
Three-point Scoring- After going 1-11 from deep last game it was great to see Pitt return to respectable shooting. Against the Eagles they hit 10 of their 19 triples, which is encouraging going forward.
Bounce Back- Bad loses can stick with a team and with such a short break between games Pitt could have let the Louisville loss become a pattern. Instead, the Panthers came out and dominated to get back on the winning path. “It is not about how hard you hit, it is about how hard you can get hit.”
Negatives:
James Robinson- He showed improvement from last game, but once again his assist to turnover ratio was off. On the afternoon he registered just two assists, compared to two turnovers. Add that in with his 4-10 shooting, which is made worse due to the fact that he was wide open on several occasions and you have yourself a negative.
Chris Jones- Jamie Dixon recruited him to be the shooter, but he is far from that. On the season he is a pedestrian 30% from downtown, while adding no other noticeable contributions to the team.
Defense- The defense was not engaged early letting Boston College players get easy looks. Eli Carter did most of the damage, but still if they had been playing a better offensive team it would have been a much different outcome.
Defending Stars- Once again an opposing team’s star went off for a career high. This time it was Boston College’s Eli Carter doing the damage. He had 31 points on 12-22 shooting from the field and 5-11 from three. A couple threes were tough makes, but several were simply Pitt players out of position.
Lazy Passing- After averaging around 10 turnovers a game through the first 15 games, Pitt has been nowhere near that number the last two outings. Against a lackluster Boston College team, the Panthers had 17 turnovers and many were just lazy passes that should never have been thrown.
Offensive Grade: B
The offense would have received a much higher grade had they not turned it over so much. The 17 turnovers kept the Panthers from running away with this game throughout much of the afternoon. Solid passing used to be a huge positive for this team, however recently the passing had just been awful. Otherwise Pitt did a solid job as they shot near 60% from the field and over 50% from three. The free throw percentage was down, but they only attempted 11, making eight, so that is not bad.
Defensive Grade: C
Boston College has only one legitimate scoring option, Eli Carter, and still he torched them. It was not just the fact that he scored a lot, but it was the easy points given to him. Several points came on fast break lay-ups after a bad pass, while even more came on bad perimeter defense. The Eagles may have only scored 61 points, but the Panther defense was not the cause of that.
Coaching Grade: B
Pitt could have let the Louisville game lead to a bad losing streak, but they didn’t. Dixon had the team prepared and that was why they walked away with an easy win. It may only be Boston College, but a loss to them would be a very bad mark on their tournament resume. Also, playing Cameron Johnson and Damon Wilson over Chris Jones in the second half paid of extremely well.
Up Next:
Another home game as Pitt takes on NC State at the Peterson Events Center on Tuesday January 19th.