Pitt got his first-ever victory in McCamish Pavillon with a 71-60 takedown against host Georgia Tech on Saturday afternoon. The Panthers were fueled by Nike Sibande, who posted a team-high 21 points from the bench. Sibande, a redshirt senior, also grabbed six rebounds and his 21 points were a new season high for him.
Pitt used a quick 4-0 burst to break open a tie at the end of the first half and take a 38-34 lead going into halftime. The Panthers were never behind after that. Georgia Tech came within four points at the under-12 second half timeout, but Pitt weathered the storm to earn an 11-point ACC road victory.
Nelly Cummings hit a runner at the end of the shot clock, and Jamarius Burton’s turnaround jumper in the final minutes reduced Pitt’s lead to double digits. Pitt went 6-of-7 from the free throw line down the stretch and 17-of-20 for the game.
The win over Georgia Tech propels Pitt’s record to 12-6 on the year and 5-2 in the ACC. This is Pitt’s best start in ACC play since 2016, as that team also started 5-2. That season was this program’s most recent NCAA Tournament appearance
Pitt had to overcome a somewhat slow start. The Yellow Jackets shot the ball very well in the first half, and also knocked the Panthers to the glass. Georgia Tech (8-9, 1-6) entered Saturday’s game with just 6.9 3-pointers per game, but surpassed that total in the first half. The Yellow Jackets finished with 12 strokes from behind the arc for the game. They also outpaced Pitt 40-35 and held a 19-6 lead in second chance points, thanks to 14 offensive rebounds.
Many of the same issues that led to Pitt’s loss at Duke on Wednesday were present on Saturday, but the Panthers overcame them. In addition to Sibande’s big play, Burton scored 19 points. Blake Hinson delivered 13 points.
Cummings had to battle through foul trouble all Saturday and was limited to just 24 minutes. He scored all 11 of his runs in the second half and was 5-for-6 from the field.
Despite some recovering problems and closing three-point attempts, Pitt did a good job defensively off Miles Kelly. Georgia Tech’s top sophomore entered Saturday’s game averaging 14.4 points per game, but was held to 6 points on 2-of-10 shooting. The Yellow Jackets were led by Deivon Smith, who finished with a team-high 15 points and also grabbed 11 rebounds.
Pitt snapped a two-game losing streak and also a three-game slip to the Yellow Jackets on Saturday. The Panthers return to action Wednesday night as they take on the Louisville Cardinals on the road. Louisville is currently 2-16 on the season.
