With NCAA bubble talk including the Pitt Panthers going into their second round match up with Wake Forest in the ACC tournament, it was time for the Panthers to put up or shut up. A loss would certainly mean serious talk about whether or not the Panthers are NCAA-worthy. Thanks to a runaway victory this afternoon, any doubts about the Pitt Panthers punching their March Madness ticket should be put to rest.
Much like the first meeting between the Panthers and Demon Deacons, a quick start, dominating defense and a significant edge in rebounds were at the forefront. Led by strong performances by Talib Zanna (17 points, ninw rebounds), and Lamar Patterson (24 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals) the Panthers stretched a 14-point halftime lead into a 84-55 blowout win.
Pitt got off to a terrific start, as the Panthers charged out to an 11-2 lead within the first four minutes thanks to baskets by Talib Zanna, Lamar Patterson, Cam Wright, and Michael Young. The Panthers scored on eight of their first nine possessions and would never look back.
Wake Forest simply could not make shots in the first half, and were held to nine total points over the first 11 minutes. They shot under 40 percent for the half.
While the Demon Deacons could not buy a basket, Pitt continued to stretch out their early lead. Zanna, who led Pitt with 15 points and eight rebounds in the first half, made a lay up at the 9:33 mark to give the Panthers a 23-9 advantage.
Three consecutive baskets by Codi Miller-McIntyre closed the gap to 23-15 at the 6:44 mark, that would be as close the Demon Deacons would get the rest of the way.
The Panthers and Demon Deacons would trade baskets in the final minutes of the half. Zanna’s consecutive scores in final minutes helped get the Panthers head to the locker room with a 39-25 lead.
Pitt was able to stretch the lead and make the second half a laugher thanks to a strong half by Patterson. Patterson would score 7 consecutive points in a two minute stretch, highlighted by a beautiful steal and dunk at the 16:30 mark to make it 47-30. On the next possession, Patterson hit a three-pointer from the top of the key as the shot clock expired to making it 50-30 at the 15:51 mark.
Freshman Michael Young and Josh Newkirk joined in the festivities with consecutive baskets by Young, including a 3-pointer from the corner and then another 3 pointer by Newkirk at the 12:43 mark, capping a 18-1 run that gave the Panthers a 60-31 lead, and left Wake Forest looking to next season. Young finished with ten points and three rebounds, Newkirk chipped in off the bench with ten points and five assists.
Robert Morris transfer Coron Williams led the Demon Deacons with 16 points, but much of his scoring was done when the game was well out of reach. Forward Devin Thomas (eight points, six rebounds) was once again controlled by Pitt, and Thomas fouled out in both games against the Panthers this season.
Next up for the Panthers is No. 15 North Carolina, the tournament’s fourth seed in a quarterfinal matchup Friday afternoon. Tip is set for 2 PM.
