Pitt stretches winning streak to 3 with rout of South Carolina State
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With final exams over, campus half-empty and Pitt playing a game – a nonconference game — for the first time in a week, Petersen Events Center was quieter than usual Saturday afternoon during the Panthers’ 86-50 victory against South Carolina State.
Didn’t matter. After a slow start, players’ effort was the same through much of the game as Pitt (8-3) stretched its winning streak to three in a row.
For example:
• Blake Hinson, the most valuable of all Panthers, risked his body diving for a loose ball.
• Zack Austin, who didn’t start for the first time this season, hurdled the Pitt bench in an attempt to save a possession.
• Guillermo Diaz Graham was poked in the eye, got mad about it and returned to block a shot for the third time in the game and scored on a dunk. He finished with seven points, a game-high eight rebounds, four assists and a steal.
“I was excited because he was (angry),” coach Jeff Capel said. “When I went over to him, he was hurting, but he was mad. Which I love.”
South Carolina State (3-9) did not present a great challenge for the Panthers, but Capel was pleased his players didn’t let the weeklong layoff or a weaker opponent affect their effort.
The score was tight for much of the first half before Pitt asserted its dominance with an 18-5 finishing kick before halftime.
Capel was proud that his starting lineup alternations worked well for all four involved players. For the first time this season, Austin and Federiko Federiko did not start, replaced by Will Jeffress and Diaz Graham.
Federiko scored eight points with five rebounds in 17 minutes. Austin came off the bench to collect five rebounds and 12 points, including a tomahawk slam, after scoring a total of 12 in the previous four games.
“They didn’t play as well in the first half, tried to challenge them at halftime,” Capel said, “and I thought both of them played with the force that’s required to be good players.
“They are both really good players, and we need them. They were terrific in the second half.”
Pitt also received a solid effort from backup point guard Jaland Lowe, who had six points, six assists, one steal and no turnovers in 20 minutes, 21 seconds. It was the longest stretch of playing time this season for the freshman.
“To see guys step up, to see Jaland play as well as he did: six assists and no turnovers against this pressure,” Capel said. “That’s what I’ll take from it. To come back after a week of not playing, inconsistent practice week (because of finals) and get back to competition. I thought we did some good things.”
South Carolina State tried to harass Pitt with on-ball pressure, but freshmen Lowe and Bub Carrington handled it well.
“We were ready for it. We expected it,” Lowe said. “Our group of guards handle pressure pretty well. As a guard, you tend to grow up and know how to deal with pressure. That’s how good guards are able to make it to the next level.”
“We did a pretty good job staying composed and making the right plays,” said Ishmael Leggett, whose 14 points were second to Hinson’s 19.
Carrington’s five points was his lowest output of the season (tied with the Oregon State game), but Capel expressed no concern. He also had seven rebounds, two assists, a steal and only one turnover in 26 minutes.
“He took what the defense gave him,” Capel said. “He didn’t force anything. He did a good job of letting the game come to him. He may not score in double figures every night, but he can have an impact on the game.”