Pitt vs Clemson Takeaways: Strengths Fail Panthers in Key Moments

The Pitt Panthers dropped their first ACC game of the season in devastating fashion.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers have lost for the first time in four weeks, 75-74 to the Clemson Tigers. A battle for first place in the ACC delivered in front of a fantastic crowd and Pitt came out on the losing end of that effort. 

While there is so much still to play for, the sting of this loss will live. The Panthers led by eight with 5:35 left and watched helplessly as a win that could have vaulted them into the top-25 and further up projected NCAA Tournament seeding fell to the wayside. 

Offense Falters in Crunch Time

To borrow a phrase from Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, there was nothing mystical about this loss. Pitt made just five field goals over the final 11 minutes. The Panthers made just two field goals over the final four minutes. End-of-game execution was the name of the game and Pitt failed in that department. 

Oddly enough, in a game where the Panthers shot north of 35% from 3-point range and turned the ball over less than 10 times, the offense wasn't good enough. Days removed from scoring 45 points in the second half against Virginia, Pitt's second-half magic couldn't get them over the hump against a Clemson team that is proving preseason projections dead wrong. 

The Panthers believed they got good looks and just couldn't convert - an illness that had plagued teams of years past but hadn't come to head for this year's team to devastating effect until the Clemson game, when their offense faltered in the game's biggest moments. 

Second Chance Points

Pitt's offense wasn't aided by the fact that they couldn't take advantage of their biggest advantage. Entering this game, the Panthers had one distinct advantage over the Tigers when you compared the two on paper - offensive rebounding. Pitt arrived riding a relatively cold streak from 3-point range - just 30.7% over their last four games - so getting second-chance opportunities were always going to be key.

The Panthers lost the rebounding battle and won the battle on the offensive glass by just two boards. Those nine offensive rebounds turned into just 10 second-chance points, a figure Clemson matched. Pitt looked overwhelmed by the Tigers' paint presence all afternoon. They attempted just four 2-pointers in the first half and more than half of their shots for the game came from beyond the arc. 

Foul trouble suffered by Blake Hinson and Fede Federiko affected Pitt's ability to win battles in the paint tremendously and highlighted how thin the Panthers are with John Hugley out indefinitely for personal reasons. 

Jamarius Burton Officially Launches All-ACC Campaign

It's time to give Burton his flowers. Over five ACC games, Burton is averaging 21.4 points, five rebounds, 3.6 assists and three turnovers per game while shooting 58% from the field and 50% from 3-point range. He put forth a 28-point, six-rebound, four-assist masterpiece against the Tigers on a national stage. 

There are very few players performing as well for a team this good while carrying such a heavy load as a primary ball-handler, scorer and defender. Burton's career has aged like a fine wine and he his playing his best ball in his final season. He's been a good player ever since arriving at Pitt but the team around him is finally good enough to earn him some All-ACC consideration and that should be come All-ACC selections by the end of the year. 

Responding to A Loss

The Panthers hadn't lost in a month and that was their first setback since before Thanksgiving. Walking away from the Petersen Events Center - a venue in which they've won eight times and lost just twice - defeated is a relatively unfamiliar feeling. 

But Capel said he was glad his team got to play in that kind of environment - in a packed stadium and against a good opponent with some real, tangible stakes on the line. That kind of experience will serve them better if they can get where they want to go. 

"We have to get better," Capel said. "We’ll learn from it. We’re not down. We don’t feel great. Obviously, we wanted to win, but it’s really cool to be in a battle like this, to be in a position where you’re playing in a meaningful game and that’s what this was. It certainly hurts, but we got to move on." 

Pitt Fans Win Day

The outcome didn't fall their way, but Pitt fans rewarded this team for their giving them a reason to believe. It's not like the Petersen Events Center had sat dormant for the seven years since Jamie Dixon left and the Panthers stopped competing on a national stage, but every time that venue has even approached a sellout has been when Pitt welcomed major brands like Duke or North Carolina or West Virginia for a Backyard Brawl. 

This was different. 

Pitt was the story of the afternoon, their fans packing Oakland early and making incredible noise late in the game because their team had something to play for besides the right to be a spoiler. The more than 10,000 spectators at the Pete this weekend conjured memories of Pitt's golden era and proved that Pittsburgh loves winners of all shapes and sizes. The Panthers earned such an environment and should get more as the season rolls on. 

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