Pitt was well on its way to its fifth loss in six games. The Panthers, more than doubled up on the scoreboard by Virginia Tech, were 28 seconds away from jogging to the halftime locker room. That’s when a few boos could be heard clearly from the Petersen Events Center crowd, capping a dismal first half.
Then, something changed. Pitt looked like a different team coming out of that locker room. Shots fell. The defense improved. Belief was breathed into the building.
But Pitt’s second-half effort fell short. The Panthers lost, 76-71, to Virginia Tech on Saturday night, dropping to 8-15 on the season, 3-9 in conference.
“I was really disappointed and, to be quite frank, embarrassed with how we played in the first half in all facets of the game. I was equally as proud of how we fought in the second half,” head coach Jeff Capel said. “Our guys didn’t do everything right. But there was a sense of urgency, and they played hard. We have to understand that’s what’s required for 40 minutes in order to have some semblance of a decent team.”
Virginia Tech, which entered the evening third nationally in 3-point field goal percentage, was lights out in the first half even by its own standards. The Hokies hit 10 of 13 from deep. Some were contested; others were wide-open looks, a product of overly cautious and bad defending.
Pitt couldn’t afford that, either. It felt like a lid covered the Panthers’ bucket as Capel’s team hit only 8 of 20 first-half shots, including a 1 of 9 start. The Panthers didn’t find a bucket until four minutes, 50 seconds in and trailed, 49-22, at halftime.
But the Panthers came back firing. Capel said he wasn’t sure what did the trick; he doesn’t remember what he said in the locker room. “But it’s February 5,” Capel added. “I shouldn’t have to say anything. It’s the time of year where guys should know the value of every game, every possession, every minute, every second.”
Capel was disappointed his players didn’t possess the same “contagious” attitude in the first half. But the Panthers rallied, and it started with Femi Odukale. The sophomore guard, who had only three points in the opening 20 minutes, led all scorers with 25. Jamarius Burton was close behind with 21 points. Pitt’s backcourt duo combined to shoot 17 of 24 from the field, sparking an inspired effort.
A 17-2 run in the heart of the second half, highlighted by an Onyebuchi Ezeakudo steal and fastbreak layup, put the Panthers within striking distance with 12 minutes to go. Pitt continued to chip away, bringing Virginia Tech’s lead down to six with eight to go. And before the Hokies could put things to bed, the Panthers had yet another run in them.
With less than a minute to go, back-to-back 3s by Ezeakudo and Odukale cut Virginia Tech’s lead to 73-69. Odukale made a pair of free throws to put Pitt within three with eight seconds left. But a forced turnover slipped through Pitt’s hands on the ensuing inbound, allowing Virginia Tech’s Storm Murphy to ice the game at the free-throw line.
Stat that mattered
2: The number of points Pitt big man John Hugley finished with, a season-low.
Even with a nice 17-point performance at Wake Forest earlier in the week, Hugley is in a bit of a slump. Over Pitt’s last five games, the sophomore has converted only 18 of 49 field goal attempts (36.7%). Hugley also struggled with Virginia Tech’s double teams, turning it over four times.
“He has to do everything better,” Capel said. “He has to understand he can impact the game in more ways than just scoring. At times, he’s done that. ... But you can’t get frustrated. You have to play. You have to play every possession. And it’s unfortunate he didn’t do that. But we didn’t do that. I’m not just singling one person out.”
Up next
Pitt will face Virginia Tech for the second time in three days on Monday.
The Panthers travel to Blacksburg for a contest previously scheduled for Jan. 1. The ACC postponed the game with Virginia Tech adhering to COVID-19 protocols.
Pitt and Virginia Tech will tip off at 7 p.m. The game will be aired on the ACC Network.
“We have to come back out and get the win,” Odukale said. “We’ve been struggling. But I feel like we can beat this team.”
Johnny McGonigal: jmcgonigal@post-gazette.com and Twitter @jmcgonigal9
First Published: February 6, 2022, 2:27 a.m.
Updated: February 6, 2022, 3:08 a.m.
