Panthers Close Out February Sunday at NC State

Pitt (9-9, 5-8 ACC) at NC State (11-9, 7-8 ACC)
Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021 • 4:00 PM
ACC Network • 93.7 The Fan
Raleigh, N.C. • PNC Arena

THE OPENING TIP
• Pitt hits the road to face NC State Sunday, Feb. 28 following a seven-day layoff between games. Sunday's contest is slated to tip off at 4 p.m. on the ACC Network.
• Pitt has dropped 11 consecutive meetings, including four games at PNC Arena, against NC State. The Panthers posted a 74-62 win over the Wolfpack Jan. 4, 2014 in their first conference game as a member of the ACC.
• The Panthers are one win shy of matching their ACC win total from last season. Pitt has not won more than six ACC games since the 2015-16 season.
• Pitt will use its sixth starting lineup of the season Sunday following the program departure of Xavier Johnson and Au'Diese Toney earlier in the week.
• Pitt fell to NC State, 74-73, Feb. 17 at the Petersen Events Center as the Panthers missed two shots in the closing seconds of play. Justin Champagnie had 18 points and 10 rebounds in the contest, while Terrell Brown added six points, seven rebounds and three blocks off the bench.
• Justin Champagnie leads the ACC with 11 double-doubles, including seven games with 20+ points and 10+ rebounds. He ranks sixth in the NCAA in rebounds (11.4 rpg.) and eighth in defensive rebounds (8.06 drpg.).
• Nike Sibande scored a season-high 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds against No. 16 Florida State last Saturday. He now has 1,485 points and 501 rebounds in 106 career games.

BY THE NUMBERS
• Pitt ranks second in the ACC (22nd nationally) in offensive rebounds (12.8 orpg.) and third in offensive rebound percentage (.343). The Panthers have a +84 scoring margin in second chance points for the season.
• Justin Champagnie has scored in double figures in all 16 games played this season. Clyde Vaughan (1983), Larry Harris (1976-78), Billy Knight (1974) and Don Hennon (1958) are the only players in program history to score 10 or more points in every game played in a season.
• Ithiel Horton is averaging 11.3 points per game, while shooting 38.8 percent (31-of-80) from three-point range in conference play. He has made three or more three-point field goals seven times and scored in double figures on seven occasions in ACC play.
• Justin Champagnie is one of three major conference players (along with Derek Culver, West Virginia and Kofi Cockburn, Illinois) averaging a double-double for the season. He is one of five players in the NCAA averaging better than 18 points and 10 rebounds per game.
• Au'Diese Toney and Xavier Johnson entered the NCAA Transfer Portal this week. The tandem was combining to average 28.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game.
• Justin Champagnie has recorded a double-double in eight of the past 10 games. He is averaging 19.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 51.5 percent (69-of-134) from the field in that span.
• Terrell Brown is three blocked shots shy of matching Sam Clancy for third place on Pitt's career blocked shots list.
• Justin Champagnie is attempting to become the first Panther to average a double-double for the season since DeJuan Blair (2008-09). Pitt has not had a player average better than 18 points and 10 rebounds per game since Billy Knight (1973-74).

Panthers Close Out February Sunday at NC State

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Players Mentioned

Terrell Brown

Justin Champagnie

Ithiel Horton

Xavier Johnson

Nike Sibande

Au'Diese Toney