Pitt Secures 71-69 Win Over NC State

Saturday, February 12

Pittsburgh, Pa.

3 PM

Pitt

10-16,5-10ACC

NC State

10-16,3-12ACC

NC State

Pittsburgh

Pitt Secures 71-69 Win Over NC State

2/12/2022 6:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Highlights Box Score Postgame Notes Quotes Pitt NC State Photo Gallery

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt trio of John Hugley, Ithiel Horton and Jamarius Burton combined for 55 points as the Panthers captured their second consecutive conference victory with a 71-69 decision over visiting NC State Saturday afternoon at the Petersen Events Center. The back-and-forth affair featured 19 lead changes and nine ties before Pitt used a 5-0 run late in the game to grab a five-point lead with 57 seconds remaining.

Horton delivered throughout the second half and late in the game scoring 15 points after halftime, including eight of the Panthers' final 10 points. Unlike last game when Horton did his damage from beyond the arc with seven threes, the redshirt junior had a series of midrange jumpers, finishes at the basket and went 4-of-4 from the foul line in the final minute to record his fourth double-figure scoring game in seven contests.

Pitt rallied back from a 31-26 halftime deficit with a 19-4 run over the opening eight minutes of the second half to grab a 45-35 lead with 12:24 remaining. NC State responded with an 8-0 run that included a pair of threes from Terquavion Smith. The Panthers defense held Smith in check for most of the game as the high-scoring guard finished with just six points on 2-of-12 shooting.

The Wolfpack took a one-point lead 48-47 on a steal and dunk by Dereon Seabron with 9:40 left, but Pitt again countered with a 6-0 run fuel by Hugley, who scored a pair of buckets, added a steal and assisted on a Burton jumper in the lane.

Pitt led 55-50 with 6:26 remaining following another short jumper in the lane by Burton but NC State responded with a three-point play by Seabron and a pair of free throws by Thomas Allen to knot the game at 55. Hugley and Seabron traded buckets with the NC State wing adding a free throw with 3:48 left to give the Wolfpack a 58-57 lead.

Femi Odukale, who finished the night with a career-high nine rebounds, answered with a baseline dunk on the ensuing Pitt possession only to be countered with another Seabron driving layup to give the visitors a one-point lead with 3:14 remaining.

Pitt scored the next six points off a pair of free throws by Hugley, a driving layup by Horton and two more free throws by Horton following a collision at the rim on a dunk attempt.

NC State trimmed the deficit to two points [65-63] on a three by Jerichole Hellems but Pitt beat the press and Hugley found Horton under the hoop for a lay-in to make it a two-possession game with 17 seconds remaining. Allen hit a three with 10 seconds left before Horton again pushed the lead to three points with a pair of free throws.

The Panthers played the foul up three game the rest of the way with Hugley and Seabron trading a pair of free throws in the final six seconds of play. Up three with five seconds left following Hugley's free throws, Pitt prevented NC State from getting off a three-point attempt by again fouling Seabron.

Burton secured the game clinching rebound off an intentional missed free throw by Seabron with 1.3 seconds remaining.

Pitt dominated the glass throughout the game finishing with a 45-25 rebounding advantage, including a 25-10 edge in the second half. The Panthers also continued a nice stretch of offensive efficiency in the second half of play with 45 points on 51.9 percent (14-of-27) shooting from the field and a perfect 14-of-14 from the foul line. Pitt has scored 40+ points, while shooting 50 percent or better from the field in four of the past five games.

Hugley finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds for his team-leading eighth double-double. He went 13-of-15 from the foul line, including 8-of-8 from the line after halftime. Burton added 17 points for his team-leading 18th double-figure scoring game.

Mouhamadou Gueye added eight points and seven rebounds while dealing with foul trouble throughout the game and William Jeffress came up big with five rebounds and several key defensive plays over the final five minutes of play.

Pitt returns to action Wednesday, Feb. 16 with a road game at North Carolina (ACC Network - 8 PM).