Panthers Take Two-Game Win Streak On the Road to North Carolina

Pitt (10-16, 5-10 ACC) at North Carolina (18-7, 10-4 ACC)
Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022 • 8:00 PM
Chapel Hill, N.C. • Dean E. Smith Center
ACC Network • 93.7 The Fan

The Opening Tip
• Pitt travels to Chapel Hill, N.C. to play North Carolina Wednesday, Feb. 16 at the Dean E. Smith Center. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. with Wes Durham and Dan Bonner calling the game on the ACC Network.
• The Panthers have won two of the past three meetings against North Carolina, including a season sweep during the 2019-20 campaign. Pitt topped the Tar Heels, 73-65, Jan. 8, 2020 in its last trip to the Dean Dome.
• Pitt is 6-7 on the season in games decided by five points or fewer. The Panthers are coming off a pair of close wins last week in a road victory at Florida State (56-51) and a come from behind win over NC State (71-69).
• Pitt leads the ACC and ranks eighth nationally in free throw attempts (560). The Panthers have shot more free throws than their opponent in 20 of 26 games. Pitt also leads the ACC (17th NCAA) in made free throws (390).
• Jamarius Burton has scored 10 or more points in 14 league games and is averaging a team-high 14.3 points per game in ACC play. He is shooting 46.3 percent (76-of-164) from the field, including 41.7 percent (15-of-36) from three-point range in conference action.
• Ithiel Horton is averaging 21.0 points and 4.0 rebounds, while going 8-of-18 (.444) from three-point range during Pitt's current two-game win streak.

By The Numbers
• Jamarius Burton leads the Panthers with 19 double-figure scoring games. He has topped the 20-point mark five times and scored 15 or more points nine times this season. Burton has scored 10 or more points in 14 of 15 league games and 15 or more points seven times against ACC foes.
• John Hugley has scored in double figures 17 times, including a team-high seven games with 20 or more points. He leads Pitt in scoring (14.2 ppg.), rebounds (8.2 rpg.), offensive rebounds (72), field goals (114), free throws made (136), free throw attempts (189) and double-doubles (8).
• Mouhamadou Gueye leads the Panthers in three-point field goals (34) and blocked shots (56). He is the only player in the ACC to lead his team in both categories and is attempting to become the first Pitt player to lead the team in both categories in a season.
• John Hugley ranks 12th in the NCAA in free throw rate (71.9 pct.) and is 16th in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (6.9). He is third among major conference players in both categories.
• Femi Odukale is averaging 16.0 points per game when he makes at least one three-point field goal. He has scored in double figures in 13 of the 14 games this season when he has made a three.
• John Hugley (189) and Femi Odukale (137) have combined for 326 of the team's 560 free throw attempts (58.2 pct.). The tandem has combined to shoot 15 or more free throws in a game 11 times.
• John Hugley leads the league in free throw attempts (7.3 ftapg.) and free throws made (5.2 ftmpg.), while shooting 72.0 percent (136-of-189) from the charity stripe.
• Femi Odukale has recorded at least one assist in 32 consecutive games dating back to last season. He has recorded three or more assists in a game 20 times this season.
• Mouhamadou Gueye is 14 blocked shots shy of 200 career blocks. He has blocked at least one shot in 10 consecutive games and has 31 blocks (3.1 bpg.) in that span. Gueye has blocked two or more shots in 10 of Pitt's 15 league games.
• Jamarius Burton is averaging 14.5 points, 4.1 rebounds per game, while going 72-of-152 (.474) from the field, including 14-of-34 (.412) from three-point range over the past 14 contests.
• Pitt is averaging 23.0 points in the paint and 15.0 points from the foul line per game. Interior scoring and foul shots have accounted for 61.6 percent (992-of-1611) of the team's points. The Panthers have scored just 109 of their 249 points (43.8 percent) in the paint and from the free throw line over the past four games.
• The Panthers rank second in the NCAA in free throw rate (42.6 percent) and in points distribution from the foul line (24.2 percent). Pitt is tied for 16th the NCAA in free throw attempts per game (21.5 ftapg.) and have outscored the opposition by 94 points from the free throw line.
• Pitt has held the opposition to 29.8 percent (71-of-240) shooting from three-point range in its 10 wins. By contrast, the opposition has shot 39.3 percent (151-of-384) from beyond the arc in wins over the Panthers.
• Pitt is averaging 42.0 points per game, while shooting 56.3 percent (72-of-128) from the field, including 52.2 percent (24-of-46) from three-point range, in the second half of the past five games.
• Wednesday's contest pits two of the top three teams in the ACC in terms of rebound margin. North Carolina leads the league with a +7.56 rebound margin, while Pitt is third at +3.50.
• Pitt recorded a +20 rebound margin in Saturday's win over NC State, tied for the second largest rebound margin in program history against an ACC opponent.

Panther Spotlights
• Mouhamadou Gueye is one of just three players in the NCAA with 30+ three-point field goals and 55+ blocked shots. He is the first player in program history to accomplish that feat.
• Ithiel Horton is averaging 16.0 points per game, while going 10-of-17 (.588) from the field, including 6-of-10 (.600) from three-point range, in the second half of the past two contests.

Panthers Take Two-Game Win Streak On the Road to North Carolina

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Players Mentioned

Jamarius Burton

Mouhamadou Gueye

Ithiel Horton

John Hugley IV

Femi Odukale