Pittsburgh Basketball is back after upset win over No. 11 Virginia Cavaliers
Pittsburgh Basketball gets two straight wins over ranked opponents, including a come-from-behind victory over Virginia at home.
After a rough 1-3 start that included blowout losses to both West Virginia and Michigan, Pittsburgh Basketball looked like the same team that finished under .500 the previous six years, including the first four under current head coach Jeff Capel. And while they defeated both Northwestern and NC State in the span of one week, the loss at Vanderbilt, in which they gave up 17 offensive rebounds, was another potential sign that this team wasn’t very good.
Since then, the Panthers have won five straight. One was on the road at Syracuse, although considering that they went to the wire against lowly Louisville, that win doesn’t look great. Anyone who’s been following this team has been waiting for signs of the bottoming falling out. This team isn’t supposed to be very good, considering that they’ve gotten nothing from both Dior Johnson and John Hugley combined this season.
They should’ve lost at home last Friday to North Carolina after trailing by 3-10 points for 90% of the game. But the 10% that mattered occurred in the final minutes of the game, as Jamarius Burton and his career-high 31 points paved the way for the comeback and 76-74 victory over the preseason No. 1 ranked team.
The Tar Heels have had their moments where they “beat themselves”, which is something Pittsburgh’s opponent last night, No. 11 Virginia, doesn’t do. And throughout the first half, the Cavaliers’ pack-line defense held the Panthers to just 23 points in a 10-point deficit midway through. That should’ve been enough to put the home team away to end the winning streak.
Instead, the veterans on this Pittsburgh Basketball roster refused to go away. Nike Sibande went from playing just six minutes against Syracuse to closing out the second straight game, tying a team-high 16 points off the bench. Blake Hinson once again looked like an All-ACC player, scoring 16 as well. And even though he didn’t go for 30, Jamarius Burton had 15 points and clutch free throws in the final seconds.
The Panthers’ win over Virginia not only got national attention but gave the program a signature win and a for a resume that all of a sudden has four Quad 1 victories overall. And at 11-4 (4-0), odds are great that they’ll not only get past the 20-win mark but win more than six ACC games for the first time since 2016, which was also the last time the program made the NCAA Tournament.
Next. Under-the-radar transfer pickups. dark
With 16 games left, could Pittsburgh Basketball have another skid that derails things? Sure. But this team could’ve had that happen long ago once Hugley went down and they started 1-3. Instead, they came together and won 10 of 11 games and are tied for the top of the ACC standings. And if they manage to beat Clemson at home this weekend, look for them to have a number next to their name on Monday.