Greg Elliot Credits Pitt Teammates For Helping Break Slump
PITTSBURGH -- Greg Elliot entered the Pitt Panthers' game against the Louisville Cardinals, riding a cold streak. Over his last six games, the starting guard had made just 25% of his 3-pointers and 26.6% of his shots from the field.
But Pitt head coach Jeff Capel stuck with him in the starting lineup. Even with sixth-man Nike Sibande heating up, Capel left Elliot as the starter with Sibande's blessing. With his team fully behind him, Elliot broke out of that slump against Louisville, knocking down five 3-pointers and recording a season-high 23 points in a 21-point win. Elliot said his teammates' faith helped him survive the struggles.
"It meant a lot to me, honestly," Elliot said postgame. "Just to know I was still struggling, but that my teammates still had confidence in me to stay in the game."
Elliot said he was lobbying for the red-hot Sibande - who hit four triples and scored 12 points against the Cardinals - to take his starting spot but when Sibadne refused, he appreciated the chemistry this team had all the more.
"I wanted Nike to go in and start that half because he was rolling," Elliot said. "I'll never be upset about somebody that's playing good and can help our team. But the fact that he had that much confidence in me and my team had that much confidence in me is everything."
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