Pitt defeats Wake Forest 81-79
A full game story with quotes and analysis will be available at 6:30am ET.
Behind a show stopping performance by Blake Hinson, Pitt narrowly defeated Wake Forest at home 81-79. Hinson scored 24 points on eight made three-pointers.
After an opening 6-0 run from the Panthers that punched the Deacs in the mouth, Wake Forest weathered the storm and scored five-straight to get right back into the game.
Pitt’s first four made shots came from deep, giving the team a 12-8 lead and forcing Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes to call a timeout.
That three-point scoring streak continued for two more threes, until Matthew Marsh put away a dunk to bring the Deacs within six.
Including that bucket, the Deacons embarked on an 11-4 run, including five points from Andrew Carr, to take Pitt’s lead down to one.
Behind two three -pointers, one from Hinson and the other from Nelly Cummings, Pitt was able to extend their lead back out to seven at the 6:35 mark.
From there, Pitt was able to extend their lead to as much as 15 behind additional threes from Hinson and Cummings.
But, in the final minute, Carr put away five-straight points for the Deacs, giving Pitt a 10-point lead at the half.
Behind three dunks and a three-pointer to open the half, the Wake Forest offense was humming, yet the defense left much to be desired. Two threes were left open for the Panthers, only allowing the Deacs to gain one point leading into the under-16.
For the next four minutes, Wake Forest outscored Pitt 10-5 to get within four, but in the process relegated Damari Monsanto to the bench with four fouls.
On four-straight possessions, Wake and Pitt traded three-pointers. With 7:19 remaining, the Panthers’ lead was down to just three.
Wake Forest retook the lead at the 4:34 mark with two made free throws by Carr, but Pitt powered back with two-straight threes to take a five-point lead at the under-four.
Following an offensive rebound and put-back by Federiko Federiko, Tyree Appleby knocked in a critical three to bring the Deacs back within four.
After Appleby knocked down two free throws, Cam Hildreth missed both of his attempts from the charity stripe.
But, with an opportunity to put the game away, Pitt ran out the shot clock without putting a ball up, giving Wake Forest 6.1 seconds to try and find a potentially game-winning shot.
Appleby took the ball up the court himself and missed the three-pointer, giving Pitt the 81-79 victory.
Wake Forest Stats:
29-57 FG (50.9%)
10-27 3PT (37.0%)
11-18 FT (61.1%)
30 reb
7 TOs
Pitt Stats:
28-58 FG (48.3%)
18-37 3PT (48.6%)
32 reb
22 ast
11 TOs
Wake Forest Leaders:
Tyree Appleby: 15 pts, 5-14 FG, 2-9 3PT, 7 ast
Cameron Hildreth: 15 pts, 6-9 FG, 2-5 FT, 7 reb
Daivien Williamson: 14 pts, 5-9 FG, 4-7 3PT
Andrew Carr: 14 pts, 4-8 FG, 7 reb
Pitt Leaders:
Blake Hinson: 24 pts, 8-14 FG, 8-14 3PT
Greg Elliott: 18 pts, 6-9 FG, 6-9 3PT
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Essex is the lead football writer and a managing editor for Deacons Daily. Essex served as the Sports Editor for the Old Gold & Black for two years, in addition to roles as a beat and feature writer.