Pitt Panthers Dominate Jacksonville and Ready for NIT Season Tip-Off

2023-11-18 12:27:35

Ireland Contracting Nightly Sports Call: Nov. 16, 2023 (Pt. 3)

01:36

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The Panthers had their last mid-major tune-up on Friday night, taking on Jacksonville before heading to the Preseason NIT in New York next week.

Pitt easily handled Jacksonville, recording a 107-56 victory at the Petersen Events Center.

In the Friday night matchup, the Panthers were led by Blake Hinson who scored 25 points, scoring 21 of them in the first half. Meanwhile, Guillermo Diaz Graham scored a career-high 23 points and that included 10 rebounds.

A big part of Pitt’s victory came from beyond the three-point line with the team hitting nearly 43 percent of its shots from behind the line.

It was a hot start for the Panthers as they jumped out to a 9-0 lead and Jacksonville did not get on the board until the nine-minute mark of the first half.

Pitt had four double-digit point scorers on Friday night and the 107 points were the most scored since they beat Marshall in 2016, scoring 112 in the process.

Now, Head Coach Jeff Capel and the Panthers get ready for the NIT Season Tip-Off In Brooklyn at the Barclays Center.

“Certainly, we understand that next week will be very different,” Capel said. “Florida is a different level. It’s a Power 5. We’re playing in New York. It’s a tournament. There’s an opportunity to win a championship. We’re really, really excited to go up there and see where we are against that type of competition.”

They’re scheduled to take on the Florida Gators on Wednesday night at 9:30 and you can catch that game on ESPN2, with the winner facing the winner of Baylor vs. Oregon State.