Pitt Moves to Fourth in ACC Standings
PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers dominated Louisville, 86-59, behind a masterful night from Blake Hinson, who scored 41 points and set the Petersen Events Center ablaze with his historic night.
Hinson's domination of the Cardinals led to something bigger for the Panthers as a whole. With that win, Pitt moved to 17-8 overall, into a tie for fourth in the ACC alongside Wake Forest, who lost, 77-72 at the Petersen Events Center earlier this season.
This win set up a showdown in Winston-Salem, North Carolina next week. Pitt currently owns the tiebreaker with the Demon Deacons by virtue of that win but will look to lock up ownership of it with a win over Wake Forest next week. It will be a tall task - Pitt owns the second-best road record in the conference but the Demon Deacons are undefeated, 6-0, at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum this season.
The difference between the fourth and fifth seed in the ACC Tournament during the second week of March is massive. The fourth-place team earns a double-bye and has to win just two games to make the championship game. The fifth-place team opens themselves up to a potential second-round loss to a double-digit seed without that extra day of rest.
Pitt got help from elsewhere around the ACC when Duke beat Florida State and North Carolina downed Virginia Tech in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Those results got a pair of competitors off the Panthers' back. Miami and Syracuse trailed Pitt entering the weekend as well and those two dropping road contests to Boston College and Georgia Tech, respectively, aided Pitt's attempts to continue climbing the conference standings.
Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!
Pitt Dominates Louisville Behind Blake Hinson Masterpiece
Pitt's Bake Hinson Sets New Scoring High
Blake Hinson Surpasses 1,000-Point Mark With Pitt
Louisville Facing Injury Issues Against Pitt
Virginia Beats Wake Forest, Creates Opportunity for Pitt
Blake Hinson Says Pitt 'Changed My Life'
- Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt
