Inside The Panthers

Pitt vs Virginia Live Feed: Panthers Snap Long Losing Streak to Cavaliers

The Pitt Panthers are victorious over Virginia for the first time in 12 attempts.

Stephen Thompson

Pitt vs Virginia Live Feed: Panthers Snap Long Losing Streak to Cavaliers
Pitt vs Virginia Live Feed: Panthers Snap Long Losing Streak to Cavaliers /
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers entered tonight with history stacked against them. They’ve lost 12 straight to the Virginia Cavaliers entering this game at the Petersen Events Center and after 20 minutes, trailed by 10 and looked destined

But as they have all season, Pitt looked like a new team in the second half. They didn’t just survive Virginia’s suffocating defense - they dominated it. They won the final 20 minutes 39-27 and walked away with their second-consecutive win over a ranked opponent after topping the ‘Hoos 62-60 in front of one of the best crowds to ever watch a Jeff Capel-coached team. 

Matchup: No. 11 Virginia at Pitt
Time: 9:00 P.M. ET
Where: Petersen Events Center
How to Watch: ACC Network
How to Listen: 93.7 The Fan

Live Game Chat

Come chat with our Inside the Panthers team. Stephen Thompson will share their thoughts and news, and any highlights from the game. Tweet at us at @InsidePitt to have your thoughts and reactions shared in the feed.

Stephen: Final: No. 11 Virginia 62, Pitt 67. 

Pitt completely flipped the script in the second half. They dictated the pace and made the Cavaliers play at their speed. Their defense allowed the Panthers to get out in transition and find easy buckets in order to erase a 12-point halftime deficit. 

This is another win where Pitt's experience shone brightly. Nelly Cummings and Jamarius Burton overcame brutal first halves to combine for 20 points, 10 assists and no turnovers. Still, the game would not have been won without the energy of Greg Elliot, Nike Sibande and Fede Federiko. This was a team win in every sense of the phrase. 

Stephen: 

Stephen: Greg Elliot has scored all five of his points, grabbed two rebounds and dished out an assist in a matter of just 3:32. He plays with so much energy and his team and the fans around him feed off of it. 

The Petersen Events Center is buzzing as Pitt takes a five-point lead with 3:10 to play. The Panthers are knocking on the door of a win over the No. 11 team in the country. 

Stephen: Virginia has taken a 53-51 lead inside of five minutes after scoring six straight points. Clark and Beekman have been the catalysts - no surprise given how experienced they are that they haven't flinched in crunch time. 

Stephen: Pitt is on a 19-6 run, highlighted by a monster dunk from Nike Sibande. The Panthers have made a concerted effort to play quickly and get shots inside on offense and it has paid off. The defense has been miles better as well in this second half. Virginia's turned the ball over three times in the second half and Pitt has scored seven points off of those giveaways - a complete reversal from the first half. 

Stephen: He just watched Nelly Cummings convert a very tough driving layup to tie the game at 44 with 11:25 to go in the second half. Make it a 12-0 run for the Panthers, who have come all the way back. 

Stephen: 

Stephen: Pitt is clawing their way back into this game with their defense. The shots are starting to fall - four of their first eight attempts have found bottom in the second half - but they've cut the deficit inside of single digits because they've forced some misses and grabbed some rebounds. 

Virginia still leads by nine - 44-35 with 14:35 left in the second half - but Pitt has some energy after heading into the half a little deflated. 

Stephen: 

Stephen: Halftime: Virginia 33, Pitt 23. 

The Panthers are getting beat easily off the dribble. It forces one of their bigs to rotate over and opens up a Cavalier forward for a wide-open dunk. But the bigger problem lies in Pitt's inability to score. They're shooting just 33% from the field as a team and have turned the ball over eight times, leading to 12 Cavalier points. 

The Panthers are down just 10, but it feels like a much larger deficit, given the limited number of possessions in this game. Time to find out if Pitt can summon some second half magic like they have earlier in the season. 

Stephen: Virginia has opened up a 23-12 lead with 6:07 to go until halftime on the strength of an 8-0 run. Jeff Capel called timeout to give his team a breather but get them fired up too. The Cavaliers have forced seven turnovers and scored 12 points off of them. 

Stephen: Pitt has committed six turnovers, which the Cavaliers have turned into six points. That defense is no joke and Pitt is not moving the ball well enough to create good open looks. 

Burton in particular is trying much too hard to force shots. This is not North Carolina and he's facing some much stiffer resistance driving to the basket. 

Stephen: A jumper from Hinson tied the game at six, all with 15:52 to go in the first half but Virginia proceeded to score nine of the next 12 points to take a 15-9 lead into the under-12 media timeout. The Cavaliers have made four of their last five shots. 

Stephen: Kihei Clark has been carving up the Panthers early. He's got just two points and an assist but he was the catalyst for Virginia's 6-0 start. Blake Hinson got the Panthers on the board at the 16:21 mark of the first half. That breaks a 0-6 start from the field for Pitt. 

Stephen: We get no surprises in Pitt's starting lineup today. Jeff Capel rolls with the starting lineup of Federiko Federiko, Blake Hinson, Jamarius Burton, Greg Elliot and Nelly Cummings that has won four straight and nine of the last ten games. 

Virginia sends Kihei Clark, Reece Beekman, Armaan Franklin, Jayden Gardner and Kadin Shedrick to the floor first. 

Stephen: 

Stephen: John Hugley is in street clothes while the Panthers warm up for the fourth straight game. He hasn’t played since Pitt took on Sacred Heart on December 10. 

Stephen:

Stephen: To quote tennis legend, Billy Jean King, "Pressure is a privilege - it only comes to those who earn it." 

The Panthers have earned the weight of expectations. After knocking off No. 25 North Carolina last weekend to race out in front of the conference standings, Pitt is teetering on the edge of NCAA Tournament contention and can vault itself firmly into the projected field with it's second top-25 win of the season. 

They'll have to go through a Virginia team that this program has not won against since the first year of Kevin Stallings to get there, but will have the benefit of homecourt, where the Panthers are 7-1 this season.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and so much more!

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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