GREENSBORO, N.C. — Few teams can say they’ve started a win-or-go-home contest on a 22-2 run. Even fewer possess the resilience to grind out a victory after nearly watching that lead disappear. Pitt achieved both feats Friday afternoon en route to grinding out a 59-41 victory over No. 6 seed Iowa State in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Early on, it seemed as though nothing could go wrong for No. 11 seed Panthers (24-11), who jumped ahead by 20 points in the game’s first 10 minutes thanks to a sluggish start from the opposition. Freshman center Guillermo Diaz Graham, who started his second straight NCAA Tournament game in place of Fede Federiko, led the way for Pitt, scoring seven points in the first half.
The Cyclones (19-14) missed their first 11 shots from the floor, not making a basket until the 9:54 mark. But once Jaren Holmes knocked down a layup for Iowa State’s first field goal, the game flipped. A handful of Pitt turnovers, along with numerous second chances on the offensive glass allowed the Cyclones to storm back, trimming Pitt’s lead to as little as six points.
“At one point in the game, it felt like we let up a little bit,” Jamarius Burton said. “We made mistakes, but we kept our feet on the gas. We kept fighting. We kept playing together.”
Coach Jeff Capel’s team took a 30-23 lead into the locker room at halftime. While the Panthers’ play failed to improve in the following 20 minutes, an uglier effort from Iowa State helped Pitt regain a double-digit lead and cruise to another victory in the Big Dance.
“We came back from halftime and got organized, got our offense organized again, and we did a really good job of attacking them, but the main thing the whole time was our defense,” Capel said after the win. “It allowed us to keep a lead, to extend a lead, and it's the reason why we won the basketball game. It's really cool that everyone contributed. Everyone stepped up and made some huge plays.”
The Cyclones shot a putrid 17% from the field in the second half, making just five of their 29 shot attempts. A 10-0 run that began just under the eight-minute mark helped Pitt play down the final stretch with the final outcome all but decided.
“We just emphasized on the points we needed to at halftime,” Nike Sibande said. “Continuing to rebound, fight and lock in defensively. We made those things happen and we got the win.”
Nelly Cummings led Pitt with 13 points, while Burton and Greg Elliott both finished in double-figures, scoring 11 and 10, respectively. Diaz Graham also shined in the Pitt victory, posting a statline of nine points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Gabe Kalscheur led Iowa State with 12 points in its loss.
Key stat
While shots weren’t falling at all times from the field, Pitt found consistent offense at the foul line. The Panthers took advantage of Iowa State’s aggressive half-court defense, charging the basket to draw a total of 22 fouls.
“We knew they were going to be a physical team,” Burton said. “They force 17 turnovers a game. That’s how they score. That’s a big part of their game. For us, the key was using their aggressiveness against them.”
When it got to the line, Pitt capitalized, making 25 of 29 attempts to finish the game with an 86% showing. Elliott and Burton were the biggest contributors to Pitt’s foul shot success, chipping in nine and eight points at the line, respectively.
Quotable
Each of the three youngsters in Pitt’s frontcourt had a significant effort in Friday’s win. In addition to Diaz Graham’s nine points and eight rebounds, his twin brother, Jorge, also contributed a few big plays, hauling in five boards to go along with his two points.
“These two guys, they love basketball,” Capel said while sitting next to the twins at the postgame podium. “They love to compete. They love the work. They're not afraid of it. They're incredible teammates, and their spirit, their energy since I've known them, they've always been in a good mood and it's infectious. It's really infected our team.”
Federiko meanwhile provided his own wave of positivity by simply being available. After missing Tuesday’s win over Mississippi State in the First Four due to a knee injury, the sophomore center made his return to the court seven minutes into Friday’s contest.
As he took the floor, Federiko was greeted by cheers of the many Pitt fans who made the trip to Greensboro, which he says made his first March Madness experience that more special.
“I remember watching this tournament on television when I was learning about basketball,” Federiko said. “When I came in, I just kept thinking how amazing it was to be playing in it. We won another game in March Madness, and this time, I was a part of it.”
With Federiko’s health improving, Pitt could likely have its primary starting lineup back for Sunday. But if Capel decides to stick with Diaz Graham, Federiko says he won’t have an issue.
"He's playing great,” Federiko said of Guillermo Diaz Graham. “If I'm his backup, I'm his backup. It is what it is. I'm happy with that."
Up next
With the victory, Pitt advances to the second round of the NCAA Tournament where it will face No. 3 seed Xavier on Sunday in Greensboro. The Musketeers (26-9) survived an upset scare Friday afternoon, holding on for a 72-67 win in the opening round over No. 14 seed Kennesaw State.
“I’m pretty sure everybody in our locker room watched their game this afternoon,” Sibande said when asked about his team’s upcoming opponent. “We’re going to enjoy our win tonight, but tomorrow, we’re going to lock in and dive into everything Xavier does as a team. We’re excited to get back out here Sunday and keep fighting.”
Panthers fans are more than familiar with Xavier head coach Sean Miller, an Ellwood City native who played at Pitt from 1987 through 1992. Sunday marks Pitt’s first appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament since 2014, where it fell to No. 1 seed Florida by a final score of 61-45.
