Pitt Pulls Stunning Upset Over Duke

The Pitt Panthers played with increased grit and passion on their way to a crucial victory.

PITTSBURGH -- In the thick of a tough stretch, the Pitt Panthers have made it a priority to try and recapture the energy and spirit that acted as a catalyst during their early-season success. 

Those efforts finally bore fruit on Saturday in an 80-76 road win over the Duke Blue Devils that should serve as a blueprint for the rest of the Panthers' season. 

Blake Hinson was in peak form as led the offense with 23 points on 7-of-7 shooting from behind the arc while Jaland Lowe nailed a momentum-swinging three in the final minute as part of a 17-point performance. Pitt's work on defense, which included six blocks and 11 turnovers, pushed the Panthers over the top as they secured their most significant win of the season. 

The Panthers combated the Cameron Crazies' vigor with a 9-0 run out of the gate as Federiko Federiko, Hinson, Jaland Lowe and Bub Carrington all got on the board, forcing Duke to take an early timeout at the 17:44 mark. The Blue Devils cut their deficit to 11-5 after Caleb Foster hit a three before the first media timeout at the 15:38 mark. 

A Hinson three and a free throw from Ishmael Leggett drove the Panthers' lead to 17-7 at the 14:10 mark. A Tyrese Proctor three cut it to single-digits two possessions later, though the Blue Devils wouldn't score for the following two minutes as Pitt carried a 19-10 lead into the second media timeout at the 11:25 mark. 

Consecutive threes from Foster and Jared McCain out of the break prompted a timeout from Jeff Capel as the Panthers' lead was trimmed to five points. The Blue Devils tied things up at the 7:54 mark prior to taking their first lead of the game on a McCain three-pointer. Pitt snapped Duke's 13-2 run on a Zack Austin jumper before Hinson nailed his third shot from behind the arc in the first half, making it 30-26 with 5:36 left. 

The Panthers took a 36-30 lead into the final media stoppage of the half at the 2:58 mark after Federiko converted a pair of lobs on back-to-back trips down the floor. A last-second layup by TJ Power made it 38-34 Pitt at halftime. 

The Panthers' renewed energy and effort shone throughout the team's first half performance and gave them a leg up in several aspects of the game. Pitt outrebounded Duke 20-to-10 and forced four turnovers all while holding the Blue Devils to 39.3% shooting. On the offensive end, the Panthers established a good rhythm and shot 51.6% as a result of enhanced ball movement and a greater focus on pushing the ball inside. 

Hinson led all scorers with 11 points in the first half on 4-of-5 shooting while Proctor paced the Blue Devils with 10. 

Hinson opened the second half scoring with a deep three on the wing that grew Pitt's lead to 41-34. Seven fouls in the first four minutes put the Panthers in a predicament, though they weathered the storm and retained a 47-45 lead at the first media timeout. 

A Foster three made it a one-point game at the 14:20 mark before Jaylen Blakes put the Blue Devils up with a pair of free throws. An acrobatic three from Hinson at the top of the key quickly put the Panthers back in front before he came right back with another from the wing on the next possession that made it 55-50 at the 12:38 mark. 

Duke snapped a two-minute-long scoreless stretch on a Ryan Young layup before McCain tied the game on a three-pointer. The Panthers took the lead back soon after on a Lowe floater at the 9:19 mark, though the Blue Devils would later take a 65-64 lead after a Kyle Filipowski and-one. 

Another three from Hinson put the Panthers in front at the 6:35 mark while Duke over three minutes without a point leading up to a media timeout at the 3:35 mark, where Pitt held a 69-65 lead. 

A pair of free throws by Ryan Young cut Duke's deficit to two points following the stoppage, but Carrington responded with a huge three that made it 72-67. McCain converted a pair of layups to cut it to 72-71 with 1:07 to play, but a contested pull-up three from Lowe turned the tide and made it 75-71 with 43 seconds left. 

Federiko made it 76-71 with 26 seconds to go in the contest after making one end of a one-and-one following a McCain miss. Foster missed an opportunity to make it a one-possession game at the free throw line with under 20 seconds to go, forcing Duke to foul in the closing moments. The Panthers took care of business and closed the Blue Devils out from there despite a few scares, clinching their first win at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1979 while potentially giving Pitt new life this season. 

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