DAYTON, Ohio —Jamarius Burton didn’t play long, but when it mattered most, the team’s leader stepped up big. With his team down by a point with under 30 seconds left, Jeff Capel knew who had to have the basketball, and his faith was rewarded.
A clutch basket from the fifth-year senior put Pitt ahead for good with nine seconds left. A defensive stop the following possession solidified a 60-59 victory over Mississippi State Tuesday evening in the NCAA tournament’s First Four round.
With starting center Fede Federiko out due to a knee injury he sustained last week in the ACC tournament, the Panthers (23-11) formulated a game-plan that attacked the Bulldogs (21-13) in their weakest areas.
Entering the game as the worst 3-point-shooting team in the country, Pitt dared Mississippi State to win from the outside, which it looked to be capable of doing early on. The Bulldogs opened the contest drilling four of their first five looks from behind the arc. However, as game play continued, the outside heat transitioned to the other team.
While Mississippi State dominated on the glass, the Panthers relied upon their veteran backcourt to make up the difference with shooting and stingy defense.. A 62% shooting effort from 3-point-range allowed Pitt to take a 35-34 lead into the half. The lead was aided by eight forced Bulldog turnovers, which the Panthers turned into 12 points.
Although looks from behind the arc were hard to come by, a triple from Blake Hinson is what gave Pitt the boost it needed in the closing minutes, putting it ahead 58-52 with 3:06 remaining. While Mississippi State pushed back, Pitt ultimately held on to finish the job to keep its season alive.
Nelly Cummings led the Panthers with 15 points. Greg Elliott, Blake Hinson and Nike Sibande each also scored in double figures, finishing with 13, 12 and 11 points respectively.
Key stat: After dominating from the outside early on, Hinson’s triple with 3:06 left was Pitt’s only made 3-pointer in the second half. Nonetheless, the basket came at a crucial time, playing a key part in the win.
Up next: Pitt moves on to the first official round of the NCAA tournament where it will face Iowa State, Friday at 3 p.m. in Greensboro, N.C. The Cyclones (19-13) earned an at-large bid as a six-seed after putting together a strong tournament resume in the highly competitive Big 12 conference. Fans can watch Pitt and Iowa State’s first round battle on truTV.
