Pittsburgh Basketball: 3 takeaways from comeback road victory over Virginia Tech
Road games are always challenging in conference play, no matter who the opponent is. Pittsburgh Basketball found that out this weekend, struggling for 40 minutes against the Virginia Tech Hokies. They trailed for most of the game, down by seven points with under four minutes to go.
But thanks to some timely baskets late, the Panthers could hold on for the 64-59 win to move to 1-0 in ACC play. Here are some takeaways from the comeback victory.
1. Jaland Lowe saving his best for last
It was on track to be the worst game of Lowe’s sophomore campaign, with just four points through the first 30 minutes. But he ended up scoring 15 of Pitt’s final 20 points of the game, including the last seven to win them the game. Lowe finished with a game-high 19 points and, like late against Ohio State, made the plays late to give them a chance to win.
2. Guillermo Diaz-Graham’s strong second half
Overall, the junior forward produced nine points while shooting 1/7 from deep while struggling on defense. But when it mattered in the second half, Diaz-Graham came through, making a key three-pointer to keep the game within reach while also getting the game-saving block in the final seconds. He struggled through this five-game stretch, but give credit where it’s due to the forward finding ways to have an impact.
3. Panthers did what they needed to do on this road trip
Coming into the season, this was viewed as the most important stretch for the team, considering how last year’s non-conference went. They went 3-2, losing games to Wisconsin and Mississippi State (currently Quad 1 losses) while beating LSU and Ohio State (likely Quad 1).
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Beating Virginia Tech was important because they’ve struggled badly to this point, where, at best, it will be a Quad 3 road game. Lose that, and it’s your one clear blemish. If they can take care of business with Eastern Kentucky and Sam Houston State in the next two weeks, they will have had a successful non-con campaign.