Pitt
9-10,5-9ACC
NC State
12-9,8-8ACC
Pitt Drops Road Contest with NC State, 65-62
2/28/2021 7:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - The University of Pittsburgh men's basketball team fell to NC State, 65-62, on the road Sunday evening at PNC Arena.
Femi Odukale finished with a game-high 18 points and registered five rebounds and five assists. Justin Champagnie recorded his 12th double-double of the year with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Terrell Brown finished with 11 points and 11 boards, the first double-double of his career.
The win marks a season sweep of Pitt and is N.C. State's fourth in a row in the Atlantic Coast Conference, its first four-game streak since Feb. 14-25, 2018.
N.C. State's DJ Funderburk finished with 13 points in the balanced N.C. State (12-9, 8-8 ACC) offense that saw eight players score and four reach double figures. Jericole Hellems notched his second double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, Braxton Beverly added 14 points, making 8 of 9 at the free-throw line, and Manny Bates added 10 points and six blocked shots.
Bates stifled Pitt's rally with blocks on consecutive late-game possessions, scoring after the first block for good measure. His basket pushing the Wolfpack lead back to 60-55 with 4:01 left.
The Panthers (9-10, 5-9 ACC) had come within three five times after trailing by 14 early in the second half.
Champagnie made his presence felt about six minutes into the second half, throwing down a dunk, making four straight free throws with the six unanswered points pulling Pitt to 45-37.
The Panthers scored twice more after an N.C. State basket and it was 52-49 after an 18-7 run by Pitt. That's when Funderburk threw down with a two-handed dunk at the 8:12 mark and the Wolfpack kept Pitt at bay the rest of the way.
Champagnie scored 10 of his 15 points in the second half. Nike Sibande scored nine and gathered five rebounds. The Panthers outrebounded the Wolfpack 45-31 and 20-7 in offensive boards.
N.C. State scored 23 points off 14 Pitt turnovers and was 24-of-34 at the line.
Pitt closes the regular season next week, hosting Wake Forest on Tuesday and traveling to Clemson on Saturday. The Wolfpack travel to Notre Dame on Wednesday and host No. 16 Virginia Tech on Saturday to wrap up the regular season.
