Pitt's Record Shooting Night Was No Fluke

The Pitt Panthers' record shooting performance may not be replicated this season, but it reflects a trait that makes them dangerous.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers beat Wake Forest earlier this week behind a barrage of 3-pointers. They made a record 18 triples on 37 attempts - a rate of 48.7% - led by a 6-9 effort from Greg Elliot and 8-14 night from Blake Hinson, who combined to shoot a blistering 60.9% from deep and score 42 of their team's 80 points. 

It's easy to look at those numbers and call what Pitt accomplished unsustainable and you might be right - taking 37 3-pointers will not always be a winning strategy. But the reality is that Pitt's record night from downtown resulted from good offense - not flukey shooting that covered for a misguided offensive strategy. Not only did the Panthers make shots but they created good ones and played a style that both fit their skill set and the demands of the game in front of them. 

One could approach this simply - Pitt made 10 of 19 attempts from beyond the arc in the first half. Head coach Jeff Capel would have to be deranged to come out of the locker room and ask his team to stop doing something they had done so well all game. 

But there is a technical reason why the Panthers were attempting (and making) so many triples instead of looking to attack inside - the ball movement was as good as it's been for the entirety of ACC play and probably the entire season. There was a purpose to their passing and the shooting rates reflected how sharp they were in that area. 

"I thought the ball had energy," Jeff Capel said. "I thought we learned from the last game as far as we moved the basketball, we didn't settle."

They tied a season-high in assists with 22 and got tons of looks off of them - those looks just happened to come from deep. All 18 made triples came off an assist and few came with any real contest from the Demon Deacons. They learned their lesson from last time out against Florida State, when they tied their sixth-lowest assist total in a game this season with 11. 

Elliot said this game just happened to result in a barrage of 3-pointers, but good ball movement like the kind the Panthers created against Wake Forest will result in good shots from everywhere. 

“The ball is what finds the energy to find that good shot," Elliot said. "I feel like once the ball is moving away it was moving tonight and once we find that good shot, no matter who takes it or what shot it is, just today it happened to be threes and it was definitely contagious."

The Panthers are efficient offensively - they are 47th in that category according to KenPom - even while owning the 147th-best 3-point percentage. So even though aiming for a program-high in 3-pointers made each night out is unrealistic, the Panthers don't have to replicate that performance to be successful. Pitt has proven they can win in a number of different ways. 

They can, of course, bomb triples at astonishing rates like they did against Northwestern and Wake Forest, when they shot 56.7% from deep. But the Panthers can be stifling defensively like they were against Louisville and NC State, UT Martin and Sacred Heart, when they posted a defensive rating below 100. Or they can outflank opponents with superior and diverse guard play in transition, like they did when they scored 17 fast break points against Syracuse and 19 in transition against Georgia Tech. Pitt can also be ruthlessly efficient scoring from the inside as they were against Fairleigh Dickinson and North Carolina - shooting north of 63% from inside the arc in both contests. 

Above all else, this team is malleable - they can change with the demands of their opponent and that is one of their biggest strengths. There is no one winning formula but there doesn't have to be when dealing with a group of seasoned veterans. Their incredible air raid against Wake Forest is impressive, but it isn't all the Panthers are capable of. 

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