Free throws win ball games in more than a fan chant. It’s factual and proved to be one of the reasons the NC State Wolfpack fell to the Pitt Panthers 67-64 Wednesday night inside PNC Arena.
The Wolfpack finished the game 6-15 from the charity stripe and was the point of emphasis by coach Kevin Keatts postgame. “I can look at the stat sheet but **** we have to make our free throws” added Keatts.
Both teams opened up a identical 3-7 from the floor in the first four and a half minutes play with Pitt holding a 9-7 lead at the first media timeout. The Panthers picked up the pace on offense racing out to a 20-11 lead, forcing an NC State timeout with 12:51 left in the first half.
Pitt’s lead grew to as many as 11 before a pair of DJ Horne three pointers cut the Panthers lead to 26-23 with 6:28 remaining in the opening half. Horne stayed hot from three as his fourth of the half tied the game at 30-30. The Panthers responded with a quick 6-0 run to go back in front 36-30 before taking a 38-30 lead into halftime.
The run continued for the Panthers out of the break, as the Pitt lead grew to 43-30 less than two minutes into the second half. Horne then connected on a few baskets to slice the Panther lead to 45-40 before a three pointer by Pitt made the score 48-40 at the under 16 media timeout. The Wolfpack wouldn’t go away quietly as the Panthers held a 52-47 lead with just under 11 minutes left in the game.
The Wolfpack continued to claw their way back into the game and finally broke even as Casey Morsell tied the game at 56-56 with a corner three just before the under eight media break. DJ Burns forced his way to the basket to give NC State its first lead in a long time at 58-56 with just over six minutes left. With the score knotted at 60-60 at the final media timeout, things stayed close as Pitt held a 63-62 lead as NC State called a timeout after a Panther miss with 1:07 left in regulation.
Jaland Lowe put the Panthers ahead with two free throws with less than 10 seconds left. NC State would head to the line with three seconds left. The Wolfpack’s Michael O’Connell missed both leading to a desperation three from Morsell going out of bounds which landed short – sending the Panthers to another dramatic win on Tobacco Road.
The Wolfpack will now hit the road for a critical ACC matchup Saturday February 10 in Winston-Salem as they face the red hot Wake Forest Demon Deacons.