Pitt at Duke Live Feed: Second Half Struggles Sink Panthers

The Pitt Panthers' losing streak at Cameron Indoor Stadium persists after they blow a second half lead.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers'  43-year streak without a win at Cameron Indoor Stadium persisted after they blew a double-digit halftime lead. Without an offense to speak of, the No. 24 Blue Devils wore Pitt down and emerged with a crucial home win for their squad, which has pulled even with the Panthers in the conference standings. 

Matchup: Pitt at No. 24 Duke
Time: 7:00 P.M. ET
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium
How to Watch: ACC Network
How to Listen: 93.7 The Fan

Live Game Chat

Come chat with our Inside the Panthers team. Stephen Thompson will share their thoughts and news, and any highlights from the game. Tweet at us at @InsidePitt to have your thoughts and reactions shared in the feed.

Stephen: Final: Pitt 69, No. 24 Duke 77.

The Blue Devils were simply too much. Maybe a favorable whistle helped them out but in the end, it was Pitt's inability to play offense that ultimately sunk them. In a tale of two halves, the Panthers shot just 28.6% from the floor and 25% from deep in the second and turned an 11-point halftime lead into an eight-point loss. 

While 2-2 over this four-game stretch that featured three games against ranked opponents isn't necessarily disastrous, Pitt had 4-0 within their reach and let it slip through their fingers. 

Stephen: Burton drew a charge and Hinson hit a 3-pointer to make it a four point game with 1:40 to play. 

Stephen: With 3:35, Pitt trails 69-60, but the deficit feels much larger. The Panthers need a run soon but it's a mystery where it'll come from. Jamarius Burton has gone cold, Blake Hinson has attempted just one shot this half, they can't rebound against Duke's bigs, they haven't moved the ball at all in the second half and they can't force enough turnovers to get out in transition. Without any of that, there's few places offense can reasonably be expected to come from. 

Stephen: Pitt finally made a bucket - a 3-pointer from Nelly Cummings on the wing - but Duke answered right back with a triple of their own. This is the first half, just in reverse. 

Stephen: Duke has taken complete control in this second half. They are on a 19-2 run over the last 9:21. Pitt hasn't helped themselves at all, but has suffered some tough breaks too. The offense continues to stagnate and foul trouble has affected their ability to defend. 

They need a bucket badly on this next possession coming out of the media timeout. The Panthers are down 59-52 with 7:23 to play. 

Stephen: Jeff Capel calls timeout after Duke scores two buckets in a row to take a 56-52 lead, their largest of the game. It's a 16-2 run for the Blue Devils and they've scored the last 12 points. 

The foul trouble is becoming a problem as well. 

GDG, Cummings and Federiko have 3 fouls each. Burton and Elliot have two each. #Pitt

— stephen thompson (@stephenethom) January 12, 2023

Stephen: Duke has tied the game at 52-52 with 10:24 left in the second half. Pitt's offense has deteriorated significantly - lots of possessions with one pass and a shot or some isolation. It would help for them to be able to get in transition too but the Blue Devils have committed just three turnovers after halftime. 

Stephen: Pitt hasn't scored since the 14:08 mark and allowed the Blue Devils to crawl back within five points. Filipowski is tearing up the Panthers - nine of his 21 points have come in the second half and he's added nine rebounds for good measure - but the rest of his team is shooting just 23.6% from the field.  

Stephen: Here comes Nelly Cummings - he's made two of his first three shots in the second half and has scored five points through the first five minutes of the second half after scoring just four through the first 20 minutes of the game. Pitt leads 50-42 with 15:11 to go in regulation. 

Stephen: 

#Pitt was +5 during the 7:51 that Federiko was on the bench and +12 during the 7:37 Hinson sat in the first half.

Being able to not just survive but thrive with those two out is pretty remarkable, especially given the matchup.

— stephen thompson (@stephenethom) January 12, 2023

Stephen: Halftime: Pitt 43, Duke 32. 

A 9-0 run over the final 3:21 leaves Cameron Indoor Stadium in stunned silence as both teams head to the locker room. 

Pitt has rode the scoring from Nike Sibande (nine points), Blake Hinson (seven points) and Jamarius Burton (nine points) to an early lead but they've gotten contributions up and down the lineup. All eight different Panthers to enter the game have scored and they are shooting 56.7% from the field. 

The defense has been tremendous - holding the bigger Blue Devils to 4-12 shooting on layups and forcing 12 turnovers. It's no coincidence that Duke made a push only when Hinson and Federiko went to the bench with two fouls. 

Stephen: Duke has pushed to close their deficit to 34-32 at the final media timeout of the first half. Pitt has committed some silly turnovers that allowed the Blue Devils to get back into the game and their superior rebounding abilities have begun to materialize. Duke has taken a 9-5 edge in offensive rebounding and has used it to clean up their 37% shooting from the field. 

Stephen: Pitt has five steals so far and their seven total forced turnovers have resulted in six points. It puts them at risk of drawing fouls, but also gives them a chance to run in transition and outrace Duke's bigs down the floor. The Panthers have been excellent defensively and it's fueled their defense. 

On the offensive end, Nike Sibande has been a huge lift. He's scored seven points on 3-4 shooting so far - ever shot taken in isolation and usually after he gets switched onto a big. The Panthers' spark plug has shown up again. 

The Panthers lead 30-23 with 6:04 to go until halftime. 

Stephen: Burton is still the one-man wrecking crew he has been throughout the beginning of ACC play. He's scored seven of Pitt's 12 points and made his last 12 shots. 

He's helped the Panthers jump out to an 18-12 lead with 11:34 left in the first half. The visitors are shooting 53% from the field despite making just one of five attempts from 3-point range. 

Stephen: Hinson has picked up two fouls through just over four minutes of game time. That's bad news for Pitt, who will likely struggle to defend the post without his size. 

Other than that, this is a real nice start for the Panthers. They've made just one 3-pointer, are actually positive on the offensive glass, are perfect from 2-point range and have defended really well on the interior - Duke's just 2-5 on layups so far. The visitors lead 12-9 at the first media timeout. 

Stephen: It's the same starting five for Pitt tonight: Jamarius Burton, Nelly Cummings, Greg Elliot, Blake Hinson and Fede Federiko. Duke sends Dariq Whitehead, Tyrese Proctor, Ryan Young, Mark Mitchell and Kyle Filipowski to the floor first. Three of the Blue Devils' starters are freshmen. 

Stephen: John Hugley did not make the trip to Durham tonight, according to Pitt. He did not play in the past five games for personal reasons, but this absence for illness. He stayed at home to rest up. 

Pitt forward John Hugley IV did not make the trip to Durham due to non-COVID illness.

— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) January 11, 2023

Stephen: The question used to be, "Can Pitt get any momentum going?" Now the question is, "Can Pitt sustain any momentum?"

It's clear at this point that the 2022-23 Panthers are different from the four other squads Jeff Capel has coached in Oakland, but just how different remains to be seen. "Handling success" is a theme of Pitt basketball that stretches back to when Capel's first team started 2018 6-0 and carried through the up and down (but mostly down) seasons since. 

We've seen Pitt respond to losses by rattling two separate five-game win streaks off this season and capitalize on some momentum by beating Carolina and Virginia. But this is a different animal. Winning on the road against an opponent this talented would indicate this team is built for the long-haul, with the proven depth and experience common in teams that don't just win some games but win when it matters. 

Don't get distracted by what Duke is or isn't this season - this is the toughest test the Panthers have faced so far and we'll learn a lot about them tonight. 

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and so much more!

Pitt at Duke: Game Info, Odds, Three Storylines

Report: RB Vincent Davis Enters Transfer Portal

Former Blue Devil Stars Meet as Head Coaches in Pitt-Duke Game

After Five Years, Pitt HC Jeff Capel Finds Footing in New Neighborhood

Pitt Lands Commitment from LSU Transfer RB Derrick Davis

Pitt's 2023 Recruiting Class Learns ACC's Physical Demands at Clemson Game

• Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt