Pitt pounds Oregon State in NIT Preseason consolation game
Share this post:
After the second of Pitt’s five consecutive games against power conference teams ended in a 76-51 victory against Oregon State on Friday, Blake Hinson was asked to comment on that tough stretch of games.
“Tough for whom?” Hinson said on the 93.7 FM postgame show.
Call him brash, but don’t ever accuse Hinson of lacking confidence.
“We respect all of our opponents,” he said, “but we don’t look at it as tough. We look at it if we play the best we possibly can, there’s nothing tough. What’s tough is practice.”
It would be inaccurate to label the victory in the consolation game of the NIT Preseason Tip-off as easy, even though Pitt (5-1) led for all but the first minute of the game at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Zack Austin almost immediately hit a 3-pointer to erase that deficit, and Pitt dominated with defense for the remainder of the game.
Oregon State (3-3) was averaging 75.8 points per game through its first five games and had scored 72 in a 16-point loss to No. 13 Baylor on Wednesday.
But Pitt played suffocating defense, holding the Beavers to 32.7% shooting from the field (17 of 52) and 9.5% from the 3-point arc (2 of 21). The Panthers started building an insurmountable advantage in the first half on the strength of their defense that limited the Beavers’ clean looks. Oregon State’s shooting was even further off in the first 20 minutes when it made only 8 of 29 field-goal attempts and went to its locker room with a 39-27 deficit.
“That was the focal point coming in,” Hinson said, suggesting Pitt’s defense wasn’t as bad Wednesday as the 86-71 loss to Florida indicated. “We lost the first game, which we’re going to put in the past, but today was a sign of dominance, which is good.”
Austin, who was 2 for 16 beyond the 3-point arc in Pitt’s first five games, hit three of them in the first five minutes and ended up with a game-high 19 points, eight rebounds, two dunks and two steals that showed off his athleticism.
“That’s what he’s here to do,” Hinson said. “We’re going to celebrate it, but that’s the standard we hold him to.”
Hinson said he has played with other elite athletes but never one as tall as Austin (6-foot-7).
“I’ve never seen someone that big who can do it,” he said. “I’ve seen small guards be that athletic. To be taller and bigger, that’s more credit to him. He’s special, for sure.”
Hinson struggled with his signature long-range shooting, but he scored 17 points even while missing 8 of 11 3-point shots.
“I never think the ball is not going to go in my favor,” he said. “I miss five or six in a row, the next one is going to go in my favor. I know it is.”
Pitt led by as many as 18 points 2 minutes, 5 seconds before halftime, but it could have been more if Hinson had found his shooting touch earlier. He was 0 for 6 from the 3-point line in the first half while scoring only six points. He was on target in the second half on three of his five 3-point attempts.
Pitt center Federiko Federiko made every shot he attempted — three field goals and four free throws — to finish with 10 points and five rebounds. He came into the game shooting only 28.6% from the free-throw line (4 of 14).
Ishmael Leggett and Bub Carrington filled up the stat sheet with a variety of plays. Leggett collected 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Carrington’s numbers in those categories were 5/6/5.
Apparently, spending Thanksgiving in Brooklyn was enough for Pitt to recharge after its first loss of the season only 41 hours earlier.
Coach Jeff Capel was concerned Wednesday night when he said Florida was more physical than Pitt. Against Oregon State, however, the Panthers had a 44-31 edge in rebounding, played stingy defense and never allowed the Beavers to threaten their lead. Pitt led by a double-digit margin with 8:33 left in the first half and Oregon State never got any closer.
Pitt doesn’t have much time to rest on its victory. The Panthers will be the host for an ACC/SEC Challenge game Tuesday when Missouri visits Petersen Events Center. The first ACC game is Dec. 3 against Clemson, followed three days later by a trip to West Virginia.