When Pitt got off to an eight-point lead at halftime, few expected what would happen in the second half. But the Panthers were outscored by 17 by Cincinnati and ended up with a 70-61 loss in their first Big East contest of the season.
The game was incredibly frustrating given the fact that Pitt had the early lead. But both teams went the opposite direction in the second half and that was the story of the game. The Panthers who shot nearly 50% in the first half, connected on only about 40% of their shots in the second. Meanwhile, Cincinnati made only about 30% of their attempts in the first half but rebounded to connect on over 50% in the second.
Pitt's offense also had some difficult moments in the game. In the first half, they had a nearly seven-minute stretch without a field goal. A similar occurrence happened in the second when they went about six minutes without a bucket. They were able to withstand the first drought due to the weak Cincinnati shooting, but when the Bearcats got hot in the second half, that futility became a problem.
The Panthers also didn't get anything offensively from center Steven Adams or top reserve J.J. Moore. Both went scoreless and Adams didn't even attempt a shot. Pitt simply can't get nothing on the offensive end from those two players and while a few others stepped up, those two guys need to contribute. In fairness to Adams, though, he did lead the team in rebounding collecting nine boards, so he certainly helped Pitt today.
Next up for Pitt is a road game against Rutgers next Saturday before the football team's bowl game against Ole Miss.