CBS News
PITTSBURGH (PTTP) – Pitt men’s basketball has gotten off to a bumpy start. The team, currently 14-8 and 5-6 in the ACC, has faced some ups and downs. The season so far has been highlighted by stellar play from guards Ishmael Leggett and Jaland Lowe, as well as forward Zack Austin. This all came crashing down Monday after the team’s loss to Virginia. Head coach Jeff Capel spoke to the press after the game. He said, “This is probably as bad of a performance of any team I’ve ever coached. It was embarrassing. I’m sorry to the crowd, the students, and the fans. I have to do a better job of making sure we’re ready to go.”
Capel’s apology came after Virginia outshot Pitt 28-18, making four more 3-pointers. Virginia guard Dai Dai Ames scored a season-high 27 points while collecting two rebounds and two assists. Forward Blake Buchanan also recorded a double-double. After a slow start by Pitt’s offense, the team trailed 34-19 at halftime, a season-low for Pitt. In the second half, Pitt tried to mount a comeback, but it was too late. Jorge Diaz Graham scored nine points off the bench, while Leggett went 7-for-11 with 17 points. Another highlight for Pitt included Austin, who recorded five total rebounds.
Virginia went on a 17-point run, the 10th-largest unanswered run by an opponent in Pitt history. Capel went on to say that Virginia “manhandled” Pitt. He also added that the team was “bad in every aspect of the game of basketball.”
The final score was Virginia 73, Pitt 57. The loss marks Pitt’s sixth in its last eight games. The team looks to bounce back as it plays its first game since then tomorrow at UNC.