The Pitt Panthers hung on to beat Syracuse 84-82 on Tuesday night. Pitt led by as many as 20 points in the second half, but needed two late stops to pull out a road win. Following the victory, Pitt is now 9-4 on the season and the team is off to a 2-0 start in ACC play.
Here are three things that stood out from the game.
Got it done on the road
The last five minutes of the game were not ideal for the Pitt Panthers. They nearly squandered a 20-point lead in the closing minutes, and while that’s the story of how it unfolded, the only thing that matters is the end result.
Pitt won the game.
The team is 2-0 in ACC and now they are 3-1 in road games this season. This team has seemingly taken on an underdog mentality and they are running with it. They were picked to finish near the bottom of the league, the program has had six straight losing seasons, and even avid followers of the program have kept this team at arm’s length.
I think that should change. This team is pretty clearly the best one under Jeff Capel, and entering the final 18 games in the regular season, this is a group worth watching. The Panthers nearly lost that big lead, but let’s first talk about how they got there. The went in the Dome and punched Syracuse in the mouth. They played with confidence, hit outside shots, and shared the basketball. There is not one player on this team that dominates the ball and there are multiple scoring options that can carry them through stretches of the game.
There was obviously a sense of panic in those final five minutes when Syracuse made a few more shots and amped up the pressure into a full-court press, but because they played so well early on, they were able to fend off that late comeback. Syracuse had two opportunities to take the lead, and they forced a turnover and a bad shot. Even when things were working against them and the crowd was getting louder, they did make some big plays in the closing seconds.
I still think we all want to see a little more from this team before fully buying in, and that’s fair after the last six years, but I think they are a pretty entertaining group and they certainly have my attention at the moment.
Blake 'Himson'
I really can’t say enough good things about Pitt junior forward Blake Hinson. He put on a show on Tuesday night and was the best player on the floor. Hinson scored a game-high 25 points and also snatched 13 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season.
Hinson plays with an edge, very reminiscent of some former Pitt players that played under Ben Howland and Jamie Dixon. I think maybe because it was a Pitt-Syracuse game, but that comparison felt on point for this one.
He was engaged early and showed he was ready for a battle right away. Hinson scored six points in the beginning stages and he was finding teammates for easy baskets as well. When he got a chance to dunk it, he was not shy about letting the crowd know about it as well.
Even during Pitt’s scoring drought down the stretch, Hinson defense really came through on the two most important possessions of the game. With Pitt clinging to a one-point lead, he baited Syracuse guard Judah Mintz into a steal, and on the final possession he was there to make that final heave for Judah Mintz a very difficult look.
There is a cool confidence about Hinson’s game. He didn’t play basketball for the last two seasons and just looks ready to explode with energy when he gets on the floor. When Pitt landed him in the transfer portal, it did not cause much of a stir nationally, but he’s been one of the best players in the ACC through this point of the season.
Nelly was hot in the Dome
Pitt senior point guard Nelly Cummings was on one on Tuesday night. He lit up Syracuse for 22 points and finished with six assists in 38 minutes. Cummings was the smallest player on the court, but he loomed large in this victory for the Panthers.
Cummings was on fire coming out of the gate. He scored 14 of his points in the first half, including four made three-pointers. His hot outside shooting helped Pitt build an early double-digit advantage. Cummings hit two three-pointers in the second half, each time helping Pitt stretch the lead to 15 points.
The senior transfer from Colgate was playing in front of some former teammates and friends, and that seemed to give him a boost. Although, he has just been playing better of late. Ever since he poured in 17 points against Northwestern something seemingly clicked for him. He is averaging 15.1 points and 5.5 assists over the last six contests, and Pitt is 5-1 during that stretch.
At the beginning of the season Cummings was not scoring much, and also looked to be pressing with plenty of turnovers. He has improved considerably and is definitely playing more like the player Pitt thought they were getting from him.
As we all know he is from Western Pennsylvania and he seems to be relishing in this one year ride playing for Pitt. The Panthers have ten days before returning to action against North Carolina on December 30th. The Tar Heels are coming to town and Pitt is playing better basketball, which will give Cummings his first chance to play a big ACC basketball game at the Petersen Events Center, something he’s envisioned for a long time.
