Louisville Shatters Pitt’s Home Winning Streak with Thrilling 82-78 Victory

PITTSBURGH – Pitt witnessed its 15-game home winning streak come to an end Saturday afternoon at the Petersen Events Center as Louisville capitalized by making nine of their last 11 field goal attempts within the last 6:43 of play, clinching an 82-78 victory over the Panthers. Jaland Lowe was the top performer for the Panthers, scoring 24 points and dishing out six assists, while Damian Dunn contributed with 15 points, eight rebounds, and three assists off the bench.

Reyne Smith shone for the Cardinals, scoring 25 points, with an impressive 7-of-11 from beyond the arc. The senior guard tallied 11 points during the decisive final moments as Louisville improved to 12-5 overall and 5-1 within the ACC. The Cardinals secured 17 offensive rebounds, accumulating 22 second chance points alongside 11 successful three-pointers throughout the match.

Ishmael Leggett shot 4-of-6 from three-point territory, accumulating 16 points, four assists, and two steals, while Cameron Corhen contributed with 11 points and five rebounds. Pitt managed to connect on 10 three-pointers and had a remarkable 20-of-22 (.909) from the charity stripe but fell short due to their struggles on the boards.

Pitt embarked on a 15-2 streak to take an eight-point advantage, prompting a Louisville timeout with 13:27 remaining in the first half. Leggett’s three-pointer at 15:19 granted Pitt its initial lead, followed by Corhen who added a three-point play and a couple of layups off lob assists from Lowe during this run.

Louisville answered back with a 14-0 run during a nearly six-minute scoring drought for Pitt, going up 24-18 at the under eight media timeout. The Panthers regrouped, finishing the half on a 16-11 run, entering the break trailing by just one point at 35-34.

Pitt showcased a shooting percentage of 48.1 (13-of-27) from the field in the first half, while Louisville capitalized on 10 offensive rebounds for a decisive 14-3 lead in second chance points.

Corhen was the standout for the Panthers at halftime with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, while Lowe accumulated nine points, two rebounds, and two assists in the opening 20 minutes. Smith led the Cardinals with nine points thanks to three made three-pointers.

Pitt began the second half with a 6-0 run, taking the lead at 44-43 with a corner three from Leggett, and Dunn further widened the gap with a pull-up three, forcing Louisville to call a timeout at 15:22.

Smith sank a deep three in transition to give the Cardinals a 55-54 advantage. Zack Austin prevented a fast break opportunity for Louisville with a block off the backboard, while Leggett hit his third three of the contest, allowing the Panthers to reclaim the lead at 57-55 with 9:07 left to play.

After Louisville regained a three-point edge with another three from Smith, Pitt countered with a stepping back shot in the key from Lowe, and Dunn subsequently beat the shot clock with a three, establishing a 62-60 lead with 6:59 left.

Louisville came out strong with a 7-0 run, putting them ahead at 67-62. The Cardinals held onto a five-point lead for almost four minutes until Lowe was fouled on a three-point attempt at 3:32.

He converted all three free throws, narrowing it to a one-possession game, and after a crucial defensive stop, Austin nailed a corner three in front of the Panthers’ bench for a 73-72 advantage with three minutes remaining.

Smith connected on a three following an out-of-bounds play, halting Pitt’s momentum, before Leggett responded with two free throws to equalize at 75.

Smith extended the lead to 80-75 with a pull-up and yet another deep three, leaving under 90 seconds on the clock. Leggett quickly answered with a three at the 1:06 mark, and although the Panthers forced a miss on a three during the shot clock, Louisville managed to secure a long rebound, keeping play going.

Chucky Hepburn clinched the victory for Louisville with an off-balance shot over two Pitt defenders with eight seconds left, finalizing the score at 82-78. Hepburn concluded with 15 points, shooting just 5-of-16 but delivering some crucial late-game shots to maintain the Cardinals’ lead against the Panthers.

LOWE AT THE LINE

Lowe concluded with a perfect 13-of-13 from the free-throw line and has achieved 25 successive free throw conversions. His 13 makes without a miss rank equal fourth-best in a game at Pitt. The native of Missouri City, Texas tallied his sixth game of the season scoring 20 or more points.

GETTING BACK ON THE BOARDS

Pitt currently stands at 0-4 this season when being outrebounded. Louisville claimed a 44-31 advantage on the boards. The Panthers have experienced a -12.5 rebound differential in their four defeats this season.

UP NEXT

Pitt will travel to confront Florida State at the Donald L. Tucker Center on Wednesday, Jan. 15.