Pitt Not Strong Enough Against Syracuse
PITTSBURGH -- In a maddening display of ball insecurity, the Pitt Panthers denied themselves an ACC victory on the road at Syracuse by committing 15 turnovers, a 50% increase from their season average of 9.7 turnovers, a mark that ranked among the top 20 in all of Division I.
Pitt head coach Jeff Capel was disappointed that his team dropped a winnable game in conference play, but not because his team didn't play hard. They just didn't bring the kind of muscle they needed on this particular day.
“It’s disappointing for us, especially the effort in the second half," Capel said. "I don’t think it came from a lack of trying or playing hard, we just didn’t play with the necessary strength and force that’s needed in this type of competition.”
Syracuse defenders poked the ball away easily and repeatedly from Pitt ball-handlers. Four of five starters committed at least one turnover, three committed three or more and five of the nine Panthers to touch the floor gave the ball away at least once.
Ball security was a top-to-bottom problem for the Panthers in this game, according to Capel.
“We all can learn that we have to be stronger. We have to value the basketball more," he said. "We have to be able to be resilient collectively as a group. We have to defend every possession. And we have to finish possessions.”
Syracuse has thrived turning opponent turnovers into easy points on the other end this season and Pitt was no exception. The Orange scored 16 points off turnovers and 20 points on fast breaks. The Panthers gave them plenty of opportunities to run and the Orange took full advantage.
Freshman point guard Jaland Lowe, who was one of the few Panthers to not commit a giveaway at all during the game, didn't shy away from taking responsibility for the collectively poor effort to hang on to the ball, and said Pitt was more responsible for the turnover margin than its opponents were.
“I don’t think it was really anything they really did," Lowe said. "It was self-inflicted. We know we've got to be stronger with the ball. We weren’t as strong as we can be today. I really think it was on us today.”
Veteran forward Will Jeffress said plainly what his teammates and coaches had alluded too earlier - if Pitt wants to live up to their level of talent, they've got to grow up and develop the kind of mental and physical toughness necessary to survive a long year in the ACC.
"I just think as a team, we have to be tougher," Jeffress said following the loss. "We have to be more resilient. We have to pay more attention to detail. We have to make free throws and limit turnovers. That's the name of the game right now."
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