Basketball Roundup: A recap of the first half of the season and a look forward to what’s in store for Panther Basketball

Image by Kevin Coles – License

by Ryan Durstewitz

As the first half of the basketball season comes to a close, both the Pitt men’s and women’s basketball teams have much to look back on and learn from, whether it was a blowout win or a tough loss, while preparing for the second half of the season.

The men’s basketball team had a turbulent first half of the season filled with ups and downs. The Panthers started the season with a pristine record of 5-0, winning each of those games by 15 points or more. During this time, the Panthers excelled thanks to great play from senior forward Blake Hinson, junior guard Ishmael Leggett, and freshman phenom Carlton Carrington. All three players are top scorers for the Panthers with Hinson leading the way averaging 18.4 points per game. After a tough stretch of losses to Florida, Missouri, and Clemson, they found themselves back in the win column after a 17-point victory over arch-rival West Virginia. This sparked a 4-game win streak where the Panthers improved their defensive struggles and shooting woes, which built up their confidence as they headed towards the end of the first half of the season. Coming off stunning wins over Wake Forest and Notre Dame, the Panthers were able to capture another win when they defeated NC State by a score of 67-64 to improve their overall record to 15-8 and 6-6 in the ACC. As the Panthers continue the second half of the season, they look to keep the ball rolling and add another win to the win column when they go against Virginia on Tuesday, February 13th.

On the other side of things, the women’s basketball team started off the season with decisive wins over Point Park, Yale, and Saint Francis. After a rocky 11-game stretch, their most recent victory came back on December 28th over Le Moyne. Since then, they lost their last 6 games against ACC opponents until January 25th. Led by the dynamic duo of Liatu King and Jala Jordan, the Lady Panthers defeated a very talented Virginia team in a close game on the road by a score of 56-52. This was their first win in conference play this season and the first-ever coaching win in the ACC for new head coach Tory Verdi. Since that great win, they have lost their last 3 games with their most recent loss being this past Sunday to Notre Dame. The Lady Panthers currently have a 7-17 overall record and are 1-10 in conference play this season.

Both the Pitt men’s and women’s basketball teams are starting the second half of this season in different places than where they started. If the men’s team can continue to improve on the defensive side of the ball, limit their turnovers, and uphold their great shooting numbers this team has the potential to be a top team in the ACC. With a new head coach, the Lady Panthers look to continue to work together and adjust to Verdi’s coaching style while adding more wins to the win column throughout the second half of the season.