After holding onto a slim four-point halftime lead, Pitt fell to Michigan 67-62.
The key for the Panthers was a seven-minute stretch in the second half when they were outscored, 14-3. That took Pitt from a five-point lead to a six-point deficit, and it was all uphill from there.
Pitt's lack of offense during that stretch was the main reason for the defeat, but the Panthers also didn't get enough from some key players. Freshman Steven Adams, who's been a fairly steady player, contributed next to nothing, going scoreless and adding only a single rebound. Even worse, he never looked comfortable and struggled to make his presence felt. Senior point guard Tray Woodall wasn't as bad, but his six points on 2-7 shooting and three turnovers wasn't nearly enough from a star player.
A bright spot was the play of Lamar Patterson, who's struggled greatly this season. Patterson had 14 points, four rebounds, and three assists to lead the way. It was easily his best game of the year and he was one of the few players to show up.
All in all, it wasn't a bad effort from Pitt. The second half wasn't pretty, but at the end of the day, the Panthers played a top five team closely throughout the entire game on a neutral court. There's room for improvement to be sure, but the game was a good benchmark in proving that Pitt may be a pretty good team this year.