It wasn’t a pretty game at the Petersen Events Center Tuesday night. Far from it.
Pitt hosted No. 11 Duke in one of the most highly anticipated games of the year. A 9 p.m. start time didn’t prevent a distinct sense of energy in the building before the opening tip, but the first 10 minutes certainly sucked the life out of it.
Freshman guards Jaland Lowe and Bub Carrington started alongside each other for the second-straight game after Lowe was inserted into the starting five for the first time Saturday at Louisville. The two four-star guards combined for 25 points in Pitt’s 13-point victory against the Cardinals. They marked 16 total against Duke in a 75-53 beat down, much of it in garbage time.
The script was flipped against the Blue Devils. It took until the 11:35 mark of the second half for Carrington to make his first field goal – in front of scouts from seven NBA teams with seats reserved in the press box – and record his first points. In his first 23 minutes of action, the Baltimore native shot 0-9 from the floor and missed all five threes he attempted.
Lowe struggled to find a rhythm offensively. In just under 31 minutes, he shot 3-10 with nine points and a team-high four turnovers. Jeff Capel’s team compiled a 33% mark from the field and committed 19 turnovers en route to a 1-4 record in ACC play.
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer pulled his starters with 5:38 left in regulation. At that moment, Carrington (three) and Lowe (six) combined for nine points.
Duke guards Jeremy Roach, Jared McClain, and Caleb Foster hounded the Panther guards all night long and provided their own exclamation points on the offensive end. Their on and off-ball pressure created chaos and disruption offensively that never allowed the two to create effectively. National Player of the Year candidate Kyle Filipowski recorded game highs in points (24) and rebounds (10) to post his sixth double-double on 11-12 shooting.
Carrington paced the Panthers in minutes (34:48) and the second-leading points (10) in a performance where Zack Austin led the team with 11. He shot 4-16 from the field, 2-9 from the three-point line, and didn’t attempt a free throw.
Scheyer said Duke switched defensively more often than they usually do and was one of their best performances rebounding on the defensive glass. Defense told the story of Duke’s success leading to the Panthers’ demise. Their ability to defend without fouling and prevent Pitt from attacking the paint suffocated the offensive attack.
No one denies Carrington and Lowe’s talents. It’s hard to forget they’re only 18 and 19 years old, respectively. Duke’s also one the premiere teams in the nation capable of going to the Final Four. Capel mentioned how Pitt couldn’t match the energy of the crowd and, despite being ready to play, didn’t match the same intensity.
“Sometimes you’re the bug; sometimes you’re the windshield,” Capel said.
Pitt got squashed. The Panthers have a week off before hosting Syracuse Tuesday, looking to avenge an 81-73 loss on Dec. 30 in New Year.
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