Pittsburgh – In the words of LeBron James “It’s about Damn time”. The Panthers have finally beaten a ranked team, after taking down number 15 Duke on Sunday afternoon. The win should solidify them in NCAA tournament.
Recap:
It was senior night for five Panther players and it was evident from the start they really wanted their last ever home game to be a win. Pitt started the game up 10-0 in the first four minutes, it was not until Brandon Ingram’s three that Duke finally entered the scoring column. Grayson Allen would then hit his own three to cut the Panther lead to six, however this day belonged to the home team. James Robinson would hit a three and a mid range jumper to help push their advantage up to 13. It seemed like every time the Blue Devils started to cut into the deficit, Pitt would came right back and hit several key shots. The end of the half did see Duke go on a 9-2 run, making Pitt’s lead drop from 14 to seven.
Only up seven after such an impressive first half could have made Dixon’s players start to worry, but they started the second half just like the first. A 9-1 run in the first four minutes of the half would push the lead back up to double digits. Duke did gain some momentum, with a pair of Allen free throws and a Luke Kennard three in an eight second time frame to bring the score to 58-48. The Panthers were once again able to respond, Ryan Luther made one free throw and a three, Sheldon Jeter made a mid range jumper, and Robinson drilled a three. All of that and no scoring by the Blue Devils gave the Panthers a 19-point lead. Jamel Artis would hit a three a couple of minutes later, which gave Pitt its’ biggest lead of the game, at 23 points. From that point on it was just a matter of running out the clock. Senior Robinson was able to walk off to applause by the whole stadium.
Five different players were in double figures on the afternoon. Robinson was a cut above the rest with 14 points and seven assists. Artis had a team high 17 points, while Michael Young and Luther both had 10, and Jeter finished with 11.
Positives:
Backcourt: Robinson and Chris Jones at first did not look like a match made in heaven, due to poor shooting. However, they have really done well to change the direction of this season. Both are attacking and defending well, which is why Pitt is playing better as of late.
Bench: Two players, Jeter and Luther, off the bench scored in double figures. That was not all, Cameron Johnson hit a three and Sterling Smith gave solid effort. The ability to play different lineups will help this team in last two games.
Flow- After the Louisville game it looked like this offensive attack was far too stagnant. On Sunday that was not the case, guys were cutting and passing extremely effectively.
Tournament Hopes- A signature win is what Pitt needed and this week it is exactly what they got. Winning at Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech would seal their tournament fate.
Negatives:
Passing- For the most part the passing was great, but of several instances Pitt players made lazy passes. Other than that this was a game without any true negatives.
Offensive Grade: A
Here are some numbers to describe how great a day Sunday was; 50, 40, and 80. Those are the percentages Pitt shot from the field, three, and the free throw line respectively. It was truly amazing to see how good this team can be when they execute and get good looks. Duke had no answer for the Panther’s athletic bigs and if not for slowing it down at the end this team probably could have crack 90 points for the game.
Defensive Grade: A+
62 points is tied for the second lowest by Duke this season, and what is even more impressive is that they were at 51 with just under five left. Also, the Blue Devils struggled to penetrate, which made their shot selection suffer. In the game they attempted 48 shots, 32 of which were threes. This was by far the best Pitt has played defensively all season, as they held a high scoring offense to under 40% from the field and 11-32 from three.
Coaching Grade: A+
Last Wednesday Dixon was out coached by Rick Pitino of Louisville, Sunday he out coached Legendary coach K. Dixon did that by using athletic bigs to put Duke’s center, Marshall Plumlee, into difficult positions. As well, the defense finally reached the level Dixon has said they are capable of and that deserves credit.
Up Next:
In the first of their next two road games, Pitt will battle Virginia Tech at 7:00 P.M. on Wednesday March 2.