WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.V. – Pitt fell for the first time this season in a hard-fought battle with No. 19 Wisconsin in the title game of the Greenbrier Tip-Off Sunday evening. The Panthers led for over 25 minutes of play but Wisconsin had the answers late en route to an 81-75 decision.
Ishmael Leggett, who was named to the Greenbrier Tip-Off All-Tournament Team, led Pitt with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Cameron Corhen added 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field. Jaland Lowe added 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists for the Panthers.
Wisconsin got a 33-point effort from John Tonje with 25 of those coming in the second half of play. He went 11-of-19 from the field and 10-of-10 from the foul line in the contest. Wisconsin finished the night 18-of-22 from the charity stripe, while the Panthers were just 10-of-13 from the line.
Pitt jumped out to an early 9-4 lead as Corhen found Zack Austin cutting for a reverse slam before scoring the next seven points during a 7-0 run to give the Panthers the lead heading into the first media timeout. Pitt extended the lead to 10 on an Austin wing three at 14-4 at the 12:40 mark as Wisconsin went 1-of-10 form the field after making their first shot of the game.
Brandin Cummings and Lowe added buckets on driving layups to extend the advantage to 20-8 and force a Wisconsin timeout with 9:41 remaining in the half. Pitt grabbed its largest lead of the half at the 7:29 mark as Guillermo Diaz Graham hit from beyond the arc for a 25-11 lead.
Wisconsin chipped away at the deficit as Tonje attacked the paint for a pair of buckets and four free throws. With Austin and Guillermo Diaz Graham on the bench with foul trouble, the Badgers settled in offensively with a steady stream of downhill drives.
Leggett hit a pair of long jumpers with the last one coming at the 2:57 mark for a 31-21 lead to hold Wisconsin at bay. After the Badgers got within six with 2:11 remaining, Lowe drilled a deep three from the top of the key with 1:55 remaining for Pitt’s final points of the half.
The Panthers entered the break with a 34-27 lead as they shot 46.9 percent (15-of-32) from the field and held Wisconsin to an 0-of-10 effort from beyond the arc.
The Badgers opened the second half strong as Corhen was whistled for two early fouls and a 6-0 run forced a Pitt timeout with 16:49 remaining the Panthers holding a 38-36 lead.
Tonje continued to attack the lane and gave Wisconsin its first lead since early in the first half with 11:13 remaining. The next five minutes were played within a one possession game before the Badgers grabbed a 67-62 lead with 5:44 remaining on a three-pointer by Kamari McGee and another Tonje finish in the lane.
Wisconsin pulled ahead 71-64 with 4:15 remaining but the Panthers answered back with a Lowe three-point play and a Austin corner three with 3:30 left to go.
McGee got free for a three late in the shot clock to answer Pitt’s run and the Panthers would get no closer as the Badgers went 5-of-6 from the foul line in the final minute of action.
Pitt shot 54 percent from the field in the second half and 50 percent from the game but were just 5-of-23 (.217) from beyond the arc on the night. Wisconsin rebounded from a slow shooting start to go 18-of-30 (.600) from the field in the second half. The Badgers made five threes and were also 13-of-14 (.929) from the foul line as they overcame a seven-point halftime deficit.
John Blackwell added 14 points, while Nolan Winter (11) and McGee (10) also scored in double figures for the Badgers.
DAME UPDATE
Starting guard Damian Dunn played just two minutes after suffering a hand injury and an ankle sprain on a fall early in the opening half. He also started the game as the primary defender on Tonje. Dunn entered the contest averaging 13.0 points per game and shooting 50 percent from the field, including a team-high 53 percent from three-point range.
TESTING THE DEPTH
With Dunn sidelined as well as Austin and Guillermo Diaz Graham managing foul trouble in the opening half, Cummings and Amsal Delalic were called upon the play key minutes in the opening half. Both freshmen scored on nice drives in the lane with Cummings adding a couple hustle plays to help Pitt gain extra possessions.
Delalic had the best game of his young career finishing with nine points on 4-of-4 shooting in 16 minutes of action.
POUNDING THE PAINT
Both teams attacked the lane throughout the night with Wisconsin finishing with a narrow 46-44 advantage in points in the paint. Wisconsin scored 64 of its 81 points in the paint and at the foul line. Pitt finished with a combined 54 points in the paint and at the line, marking the sixth time in seven games it has scored 50 or more points in such a manner.
UP NEXT
Pitt travels to Columbus, Ohio to face Ohio State Friday, Nov. 29 (2:30 p.m. – Peacock) in a second consecutive matchup with a Big Ten opponent. Friday’s contest will also be the third of five consecutive games away from home against power conference teams.
