Pitt
5-3,0-1ACC
Clemson
7-0,1-0ACC
Hinson Matches Career-High 27 Points as Pitt Drops Hard Fought ACC Opener
12/3/2023 4:48:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PITTSBURGH – Blake Hinson scored 22 of his game-high 27 points in the second half as Pitt battled back from a double-digit second half deficit to create a tightly contested final five minutes of action. Ishmael Leggett scored a driving layup with 3:41 remaining to get the Panthers within two points at 70-68 before Clemson closed strong with timely free throw shooting and a fortuitous bounce on a corner three.
Clemson grabbed its biggest lead of the night on a PJ Hall layup to go up 53-38 with 13:56 remaining in the game. Pitt countered with a 6-0 run to get the deficit back to single figures and clawed back to 63-57 at the 7:33 mark following a five-point possession by Hinson. The Deltona, Fla., native scored and was fouled on a driving layup before the media timeout and buried a three off an underneath out-of-boards after missing the and-one free throw.
Clemson had an answer to each Panther charge with Joseph Girard III hitting a timely three and Chase Hunter adding a jumper in the lane and a pair of free throws for a 70-63 lead at the 4:43 mark.
Hinson buried his sixth three-pointer of the game on Pitt's next possession and Leggett's driving finish trimmed the margin further heading into the stretch run. Ian Schieffelin came up big for Clemson with a pair of free throws and a layup in traffic after Pitt missed a pair of free throws.
With Pitt battling in a six-point game, Hall gathered a deflected pass in the deep corner and launched a three that hit the front rim before crawling over and in to create a three-possession cushion for the visiting Tigers.
After a slow shooting start to the game, Pitt went 13-of-26 (.500), including 6-of-13 (.462) from three-point range after halftime. Clemson secured their seventh win of the season in by knocking down 11 three-point field goals and winning the rebounding battled (40-33).
Clemson used a late surge in the opening half to pull ahead 37-26 at the break. Hinson banked home a drive in the lane to get the Panthers within 23-20 with 7:29 left in the half. Girard scored 12 of Clemson's final 14 points of the half with three three-pointers and a three-point play to carry the Clemson offensive attack.
Pitt shot just 37.5 percent in the opening 20 minutes, including a 2-of-10 mark from three-point range. The Tigers fared slightly better from the field (41.7 percent), but were sparked by six three-pointers in the half.
Leggett finished with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. He also went 4-of-4 from the foul line to extend his consecutive made free throw streak to 24. Carlton Carrington added 13 points, four rebounds, six assists, and two steals, while Zack Austin added seven points, seven rebounds, two blocks, and two steals.
Girard III led the Tigers with 25 points (6-of-9 3FG), while Hall finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Schieffein made his impact felt with an eight-point, 17-rebound effort.
HINSON CONTINUES TO SHINE
Hinson finished with 20 or more points for the fourth time this season and for the second consecutive game. He is 11-of-19 (.579) from three-point range over the past two games and now leads the conference with 30 made threes.
FREE THROW WOES
Pitt was just 12-of-22 (.545) from the foul line on the day, including a 2-of-6 effort in the final 3:09 of play.
STRUGGLES AFTER FINAL MEDIA TIMEOUT
Pitt struggled to closed out each half and were outscored by a combined nine points following the final media timeout of each half. The Panthers were 2-of-7 from the field and 2-of-6 from the foul line down the stretch of the two halves.
UP NEXT
Pitt is on the road Wednesday, Dec. 6, to face West Virginia (9 p.m. – ESPN2) in the latest installment of the Backyard Brawl.
