After the first half, Pitt has a 27-26 lead over Tennessee, but it’s a lead they had to struggle to get, and if the second half doesn’t look significantly different, it may also be hard for them to maintain.
It was the Volunteers who controlled the tempo of the game, often forcing the Panthers to allow their shot clock to dwindle. (The absence of point guard Tray Woodall, who the Panthers recently lost to injury, surely had something to do with that.) When the Panthers got opportunities, they often did take advantage of them (a well-defended three-pointer by John Johnson near the end of the half was an example of that), but Tennessee kept Pitt from having many good scoring chances. Tennessee, meanwhile, also looked much more confident on offense.
Nasir Robinson leads the Panthers with eight points. He also has four offensive rebounds. Ashton Gibbs has six points.
For more on Pitt basketball, check out Cardiac Hill.