GREENSBORO, N.C. -- This gives "survive and advance" a new meaning.
No. 11 seed Pitt utilized a blazing-hot 22-2 run throughout the opening 10:05 of the game to jolt ahead and carry a wire-to-wire upset 59-41 victory over No. 6 Iowa State in an NCAA Tournament Midwest Region first-round game Friday inside Greensboro Coliseum.
Though it largely was not pretty, nor did it need to be, the Panthers picked up their second win of this NCAA Tournament. This is the first time Pitt won two or more games in a single NCAA Tournament since its Elite Eight run under Jamie Dixon in 2009. The victory advances Pitt into the second round Sunday, when it will meet former Panthers player Sean Miller and his No. 3 Xavier Musketeers inside Greensboro Coliseum with a trip to Kansas City and the Sweet 16 on the line. Sunday's game tips off at 12:10 p.m. and will be broadcast on CBS.
MOVING. ON. pic.twitter.com/dplFblv0SY
β Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) March 17, 2023
And, they did it behind two budding freshmen which are looking like superstars and the next phenomenon in March.
Usually these rock-fight games don't go in Pitt's favor, but twin brothers Guillermo and Jorge Diaz Graham ignored that memo as the Spanish Canary Island natives continue to blossom as true freshman through the postseason.
Guillermo started in place of Federiko Federiko for the second straight game, as Federiko continues to recover from a knee injury sustained in the ACC Tournament. Guillermo continued his run of recent dominance and growth by scoring nine points (on 3 of 5 shooting) to go with eight rebounds and three blocks. Jorge followed off the bench with five rebounds, and he created one of the most symbolic highlights of the game -- and of the Tournament -- by finding his brother on a textbook give-and-go, pocket pass for a slam which lifted the roof off of Greensboro Coliseum:
πͺπΈ π₯π₯ pic.twitter.com/aG0WrQE4hB
β Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) March 17, 2023
"It's really cool that everyone contributed," Capel said. "Everyone stepped up and made some huge plays. One of the biggest plays and one of the coolest plays was to watch these two guys make the pass to each other and see how excited they were afterwards, and in the middle of the play we still had to play defense. For Jorge to come in and play as well as he did down the stretch for us, it was really big. Nelly (Cummings) and Greg (Elliott) stepping up, making big free-throws, making big plays. (Jamarius Burton), Nike (Sibande) getting the four-point play. Just really, really proud of our team."
The 16,150 total fans inside Greensboro Coliseum -- a good portion of those Pitt fans -- got loud at every angle for their teams, but none represented louder than the Panthers fans after that Guillermo dunk.
"It was a blast of energy," Guillermo said. "That ball coming from my brother especially. I know it was going to be big time. Just grateful for the opportunity to be here with him, and it was amazing. The feeling is amazing."
Jorge had a sense of humor about Guillermo's dunk after the game. Watch out, Nelly:
"I said it before I'm going to start to play point guard," Jorge said, sarcastically. "No, and that dunk was -- I don't know. It was awesome. Just seeing my brother doing that. And the funny thing is, like, I think it was yesterday in practice he dunk on me and Nate (Santos) and he was talking trash. So I told him, 'OK, you want to talk now, but just do it in a game.' So he did, and now I have to shut up and say thank you for making my assist."
This could have said more about Iowa State and its inability to do ... well ... anything right, and how the Panthers' defense found ways to completely nix the Cyclones' offensive game plan.
The Cyclones couldn't shoot the basketball into the Atlantic Ocean if they were standing beachside. They couldn't stop a car at a stop sign. They shot 23% from the field while making 2 of 21 3-pointers and getting just one point from its bench. Gabe Kalscheur and Jaren Holmes, each All-Big 12 guards for the Cyclones, combined to make 10 of 31 shots from the field and 1 of 14 3-pointers.
The flow of the game swung in Pitt's favor for all-but a 10-minute stretch to close the first half.
It all became evident in the opening half of the game's opening half. Pitt (24-11, 14-6 ACC) held Iowa State without a field goal for 10:05 to begin the game, all while grabbing a 22-2 lead over that stretch. Iowa State (19-14, 9-9 Big 12) missed its first 11 shots from the field up until a layup from Holmes at the 9:55 mark to cut Pitt's lead to 22-4.
"Just our defense," Burton said. "Our defense really united us and allowed us to get out in transition, allowed us to get easy shots, and that's the way we're able to play as long as we get stops, and that's what attributed to us going on a run like that to start the game."
What was brewing, though, was a cold stretch by the Panthers to allow Iowa State back into the game in the second half of the opening half. Pitt would go on to make 1 of 11 from the field to close the final 11:58 of the first half, causing the 20-point lead to evaporate into a 30-23 margin for the Panthers at the break.
Iowa State could not get out of its own way at times, making just 5 of 28 from the field in the second half and scoring zero points off of six Pitt turnovers. The Cyclones also scored just two second-chance points off of six offensive rebounds in the second half.
"We just wanted to continue to lock in defensively," Sibande said. "We came out good, hot on offense. We were hitting some shots, and we were contesting and making them miss on defense. At halftime we came into the locker room and continued to emphasize in keeping a hand in the face and being in position, and continuing to play together."
MORE FROM THE GAME
β’ Cummings scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half. Talk about leading by example in a close-out fashion, the Midland, Pa., native made 4 of 7 from the field and committed just one turnover in his 16 minutes on the floor in the second half.
In two NCAA Tournament games for Pitt, Cummings has scored 24 points on 11 of 24 made looks from the field and 4 of 9 3-pointers while registering seven assists to four turnovers (all of his turnovers were from Friday) and four steals.
"We did have a players' meeting where we came in and regrouped with everybody and let everybody know obviously we didn't get the regular season journey finished how we wanted to, but we had an opportunity in March to go out here and do that," Cummings said. "So we knew that it was going to require us to be really, really locked in and focused and paying attention to details. That's kind of what we're doing. We have an older group who has been here before, and we understand what it takes to win in March."
Pitt Athletics
Pitt guard Nelly Cummings attempts a jumper during Friday's NCAA Tournament First Round game against Iowa State at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.
β’ Federiko returned to the lineup after missing Tuesday's First Four win over Mississippi State with a knee injury. The truTV broadcast of Friday's game revealed Federiko was diagnosed with a sprained MCL in his right knee, dating to the March 8 ACC Tournament second round against Georgia Tech, but was cleared to play Friday.
Federiko began the game riding the exercise bike adjacent to the Pitt bench, giving way to Guillermo for a second straight night. Federiko first checked into the game with 13:23 left in the opening half. He picked up two fouls and made a free throw in 5:07 of action in the first half.
Federiko finished with one point and one rebound while committing three fouls in 11 minutes on the floor.
"It's better, it's good," Federiko said about his knee after the game. "I feels amazing, this was my first time running in a while."
While Federiko continues to get healthy, he's more than in awe about seeing Guillermo improve and help carry Pitt on the national stage:
"I'm super happy for him," Federiko said. "I knew he got it. I knew he got it. He stepped up, and he showed everybody."
β’ The start of the game was not only pushed back from its 3:10 starting slot because of the later-than-expected ending to the Xavier-Kennesaw State game prior, but also because Iowa State asked arena officials to check if the rim nearest to Pitt's bench (on the left side of the TV screen, if you were watching) was level.
Corey Crisan / DKPS
Greensboro Coliseum officials check to make sure one of the basket's rims is level prior to the start of Friday's NCAA Tournament First Round game in Greensboro, N.C.
The NCAA released a statement during the latter stages of the second half of the Pitt-Iowa State game regarding the matter:
"Iowa State asked us during pregame warmups to check if the rim was level," the statement read. "Building personnel checked it and made a minor adjustment prior to the game beginning. We offered them additional warmup time but they declined.β
The Cyclones could have used that additional warmup time.
β’ Pitt is now 5-0 in the black alternate, "Script P" uniforms this season. The Panthers have worn and won in those uniforms in each of the First Four and First Round of this NCAA Tournament.
They're here to stay. And, now, they mean something.
"Honestly, we picked black because we think about it as we're coming out here to take over something," Elliott said. "Majority of the time, when you see a team that's taking over something or a bank robbery they got on all black, right? We came in with all black. That's what we own. We're not robbing a bank or nothing, but we're out here trying to come in and take something. Because everybody said we weren't supposed to be here. So, we're going to continue to take wins."
β’ Hi, mom!
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β Corey Crisan (@cdcrisan) March 17, 2023
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE 5s
β’ Iowa State: G Tamin Lipsey, G Jaren Holmes, G Gabe Kalscheur, F Tre King, F Robert Jones.
β’ Pitt: G Nelly Cummings, G Greg Elliott, F Jamarius Burton, F Blake Hinson, C Guillermo Diaz Graham.
THE ESSENTIALS
β’ Boxscore
β’ Live file
β’ Scores
β’ Schedule
β’ Statistics
β’ NCAA Tournament bracket
THE INJURIES
β’ Played, but did not start: C Federiko Federiko (knee).
β’ Out for the season: F Will Jeffress (foot).
THE SCHEDULE
β’ The Panthers oppose No. 3 seed Xavier Sunday at 12:10 p.m. inside Greensboro Coliseum.
THE CONTENT
β’ Visit the Pitt team page for more coverage of the NCAA Tournament.
