Can the Pittsburgh Panthers Bounce Back After Wake Forest's Dominant Display?
The Pittsburgh Panthers faced a challenging contest against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, ending with a scoreline of 91-58 in favor of the Demon Deacons. The Panthers now hold a record of 0-1, while the Demon Deacons have started their season with a victory.
In an intense conference game at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the Pittsburgh Panthers struggled to find their rhythm against a formidable Wake Forest team. The home team capitalized on their opportunities, leading both halves with scores of 45 and 46 points respectively. The Panthers managed to put up 33 points in the first half but faltered in the second, adding only 25 more to their tally.
The statistics paint a clear picture of where challenges arose for the Panthers. With an overall field goal percentage of just 29 percent from their total attempts and shooting only 27 percent from beyond the arc, it was difficult for them to keep pace with Wake Forest's efficient scoring. Despite making nine three-pointers, they were unable to match Wake Forest's ten made threes at a much higher accuracy rate of fifty percent.
On defense, Pittsburgh managed six steals and two blocks but gave up thirty-eight points in paint to Wake Forest who displayed superior inside play by converting sixty-eight percent of their two-point attempts. Additionally, while both teams had ten turnovers each during playtime spanning over three hours and twenty minutes each side; it was evident that assists played a crucial role as Wake Forest doubled Pittsburgh’s total assists count by eighteen compared to nine from Pitt.
Rebounding was another area where Pitt fell short; they grabbed twenty-nine rebounds (sixteen offensive and thirteen defensive), which paled in comparison to Wake Forest’s thirty-nine rebounds (eight offensive and twenty-nine defensive). This disparity contributed significantly towards second-chance points where Pitt scored eighteen but could not stop eleven from being scored against them.
Pittsburgh did show some resilience at times; they fought hard for every possession as evidenced by nineteen personal fouls committed without any player being fouled out or ejected. Their free throw performance stood out positively with thirteen made free throws at sixty-eight percent accuracy providing some solace amidst tough shooting elsewhere on court.
Looking ahead after this tough loss on road soil – fans can mark their calendars for when Pittsburgh will host Virginia Tech Hokies at Petersen Events Center located in Pennsylvania on February 24th at 5:30 PM Eastern Time. This upcoming game promises another exciting matchup that will be broadcasted nationally on The CW network for fans across America eager to see if Pitt can regroup and put forth an improved performance before home supporters.