Pitt loses large lead, but hangs on to beat Notre Dame 86-82
By Brett Tunno
Pitt led by as many as 18 points in each half, but a late Notre Dame surge made it interesting.
No. 24 Pitt continues to display its new, up-tempo offensive style, as the Panthers went on the road to South Bend and defeated Notre Dame 86-82.
Pitt jumped out to a 13-0 run and never looked back in its first true road test of the season.
The trio of junior forwards continue to display athleticism, scoring touch, and excellent ball movement. Michael Young scored 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. Jamel Artis scored 19 points, including 5 three-pointers, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Sheldon Jeter came off the bench and added 18 points.
There may not be a better trio in all of college basketball.
This was Pitt’s first true ACC road game of the season, and I am typically used to some low-scoring brawls with Notre Dame. Last year and this season, Pitt (14-1, 3-0 ACC) controlled a faster-paced game, proving to be too athletic for the Irish.
In both the first and second half, Pitt led by as many as 18 points, but Notre Dame came back, cutting the lead to only 49-43 at halftime.
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Young and Artis put on a show in the first half, while junior guard Chris Jones hit a three-pointer to make it 28-10 at the 12:05 mark.
In less than a three minute span, Irish junior point guard Demetrius Jackson hit four three-pointers to get Notre Dame back into the game. In the final four minutes of the half, Artis made the lone basket for the Panthers, as the Irish cut it to six.
Young picked up three quick fouls at the end of the first half, so Jeter got the starting nod for the second half, and he did not disappoint.
Jeter scored 11 points in the first 7 minutes to expand Pitt’s lead to 70-54, which felt like a blowout.
From the 10:52 mark on, Pitt led 72-54 and would only make two field goals the rest of the game. A Jeter dunk at the 5:05 mark made it 78-68. A James Robinson layup at the 1:30 mark was crucial, making it 81-77.
Pitt continues to show why they are the No. 1 free throw shooting team in the country, making the majority of their chances. Young and Robinson made clutch free throws at the end of the game for the win. The Panthers converted 20 of 24 chances (83.3%), whereas the Irish were 9 of 14 for 64.3%.
Notre Dame shot 54.2% (32 for 59) from the field, while Pitt shot 50% (28 of 56). Based on the increased tempo of offense, it makes sense that Pitt’s defensive field goal percentage has been higher. It is very difficult to average 86 points per game and hold opponents to under 35% shooting.
The Panthers made 10 of 19 three-pointers and won the rebounding battle 34 to 24. Notre Dame made a late push when Dixon took out center Rafael Maia and had Young playing the center position with three fouls. I did not understand the move, as it made Pitt very vulnerable inside, but the trio of junior forwards were the majority of Pitt’s scoring.
For Notre Dame (10-5, 1-2 ACC), Jackson scored a game-high 26 points and 6 assists, while Steve Vasturia and Bonzie Colson both added 13 points. Senior center Zach Auguste scored 12 points and fouled out with about 5 minutes left in the game.
It was hard to gauge how “good” Pitt is this season, but I figured that road tests against Notre Dame and Louisville will show us what Pitt has this season. Despite Notre Dame being down this season without Connaughton and Grant, they are always a tough opponent at home.
This was an excellent, resume-building victory for the Panthers.
I love the new offensive style, but I know some Pitt fans will want the Panthers to play better defense. Unfortunately, I don’t think a tough defense and a high-scoring offense correlate. Of course, Pitt could improve in the paint, but their issues occurred today when the true centers were not on the court.
Jackson caught fire from the three-point line, but James Robinson began to guard him and shut him down for the most part. Also, Sterling Smith has been an excellent graduate transfer for the Panthers, as he does everything from locking down a scoring guard to burying three-pointers.
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Pitt will travel to Louisville and face the Cardinals at 9PM on Thursday.