Pitt
10-5,1-3ACC
Louisville
5-9,0-3ACC
Austin & Hinson Power Panthers to 83-70 Road Win Over Louisville
1/6/2024 3:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LOUISVILLE, KY – Veteran forwards Zack Austin and Blake Hinson combined for 41 points and seven three-pointers to lead Pitt to an 83-70 win over Louisville at the KFC YUM! Center Saturday afternoon. The Panthers made their first 19 free throws of the game and made 12 threes to improve to 10-5 on the season and 1-3 in the ACC.
Freshman guards Carlton Carrington and Jaland Lowe also came up big in the win as the Panthers played without third leading scorer Ishmael Leggett, who was sidelined with a shoulder injury. Carrington went 6-of-10 from the field and finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Lowe had nine points, six rebounds, and three assists.
Austin got the Panthers off to a strong start with 10 points in the opening seven minutes of action and Pitt grabbed a 28-16 lead with eight minutes remaining after Hinson converted three free throws.
Louisville fought back to 32-29 on a Mike James three with 2:49 remaining but Jorge Diaz Graham went 5-of-5 from the foul line and Lowe knocked in his second three of the half to give the Panthers a 40-31 edge in the final minute of the half. Curtis Williams hit a late shot clock three with 11 seconds in the half to send the game into the break with the Panthers up six.
Pitt knocked down six threes in the opening half and was a perfect 8-of-8 from the foul line to grab the halftime lead for the 10th time this season. Louisville stayed within striking distance by making five of its final seven shots and shooting 54 percent from the field in the first half.
Pitt went up double figures with a 5-0 run to open the second half and extended its lead to 14 after Hinson converted three free throws with 13:18 remaining in the contest. James gave Louisville some life with three consecutive threes to get the hosts within 57-50 but the Panthers answered back with a 7-0 run capped off by a Federiko Federiko dunk off a lob from Carrington.
Carrington's three with 5:22 remaining gave the Panthers a 75-56 lead and the Panthers salted the game away with a patient offensive attack that included a vicious tomahawk dunk from Guillermo Diaz Graham against a trapping Louisville defense.
James led the Cardinals with 23 points, including a 5-of-7 effort from three-point range. Louisville shot 51.1 percent from the field, including 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from three-point range, but it was not enough to overcome 18 turnovers.
AUSTIN STONE COLD EFFORT
Austin finished 7-of-13 from the field, including 4-of-9 from three-point range, en route to his first 20-point game of the season. The Winston-Salem, N.C., native surpassed the 1,000-point mark on a three-pointer early in the first half .
BLAKE BOUNCES BACK
Hinson topped the 20-point mark for the seventh time this season after being held to just 9.0 points per game over the past two contests. He knocked down three three-pointers and now has 51 threes on the season. Hinson is just the second Panther to make 50 or more threes in consecutive seasons since Pitt joined the ACC.
FINE AT THE LINE
The Panthers made their first 19 free throws of the game and finished the contest a season-best 19-of-21 (.905) for the game.
NO ISH
Pitt played without veteran guard Ishmael Leggett, who was sidelined with a shoulder injury. The Prince George's County, Md., native is averaging 12.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game on the season. Leggett had started 83 consecutive games in his career before missing Saturday's contest.
UP NEXT
Pitt hosts No. 14 Duke at the Petersen Events Center Tuesday, Jan. 9 in a 9 p.m. tipoff on ESPN.
