PITTSBURGH – Tuesday night’s win against Louisville was not Pitt’s toughest test of the season, but crossing off a box not previously checked in nine years proved the current core was up for the task.
The Panthers (17-7, 10-3 ACC) defeated the Cardinals (3-21, 1-12 ACC) 91-57 and completed the season sweep following a 75-54 win at the KFC Yum! Center on Jan. 18. Pitt has won 10 ACC games for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign, the Panthers’ first season in the conference.
Nike Sibande paced the Panthers, scoring a team-high 15 points, as four players reached double figures. Greg Elliott (14), Blake Hinson (11), Nelly Cummings (11), and Guillermo Diaz Graham (11) led the way as Pitt shot 54.9% from the floor and connected on 17-of-31 (54.8%) three-point attempts.
Home cooking has been a major reason why. Jeff Capel’s team is 11-3 at home and 5-2 in conference play. Wins against Virginia, North Carolina, Wake Forest, and Miami propelled the Panthers to the top of the ACC standings. The home victories coupled with road wins at NC State, Syracuse, and sweeping North Carolina have provided the program its best opportunity to surpass the first-year win total.
A win against Florida State Saturday would tie the previous program record. Pitt hosts Boston College next Tuesday in another opportunity against a team in the bottom half of the ACC standings to maintain a top conference tournament seed. Four of the final seven regular-season games are on the road. The ACC Tournament begins March 7 at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Pitt’s Overall and ACC Record by Season:
2013-14: 26-10 (11-7)
2014-15: 19-15 (8-10)
2015-16: 21-12 (9-9)
2016-17: 16-17 (4-14)
2017-18: 8-24 (0-18)
2018-19: 14-19 (3-15)
2019-20: 16-17 (6-14)
2020-21: 10-12 (6-10)
2021-22: 11-21 (6-14)
2022-23: 17-7 (10-3)
