Zack Austin Hits Buzzer Beater As Pitt Basketball Defeats Ohio State: 3 Takeaways

Pitt basketball came from behind in regulation and in overtime to stun the Buckeyes on their home court 91-90.

The Panthers started the first half strong offensively but couldn’t get a stop in the defensive half of the court. Ohio State shot a whopping 69% from the field and 67% from behind the three-point arc. It was the Bruce Thorton and Devin Royal show as both of them were in double digits. However, Pitt relied on its duo of Jaland Lowe and Ishmael Leggett to go into the half down by just nine points.

Much like Panthers fans have seen this season, it was a different team coming out of the locker room. Papa Kante and Zack Austin provided sparks off the bench that got the Ohio State lead down to just one point early in the second half. The lead changed numerous times as neither team could gain any advantage over the other. Lowe hit a jumper with 33 seconds left to tie the game at 77-77 before going to overtime.

Ohio State had the upper hand early in overtime as it got a six-point lead over the first three minutes. However, Pitt continued to fight and pulled to within four points with 34 seconds remaining. The Panthers posted three free throws from Lowe before Austin sunk the game-winning three-pointer, and Pitt won 91-90.

Takeaway #1: Bench points were huge a difference maker

In a game that was decided by just one point, scoring from the bench played a huge part in the Panthers’ success. Zack Austin, Papa Kante, and Brandin Cummings totaled 31 points for Pitt while Ohio State recorded 17 in comparison. 

Jeff Capel mentioned ahead of this matchup on Wednesday that it would more than likely take multiple players to step up and fill the void of Damian Dunn, and he proved to be correct. It was a whole team effort, but Capel noticed it started with one player.

“I thought the player that changed the game was Papa Kante,” said Capel. “His energy became contagious and infectious, and it shot throughout the whole team. He was terrific on both ends of the basketball.”

These are the types of games the best teams win. The best teams find ways to win, and it’s exactly what the Panthers did. They will certainly need more games like this going forward.

Takeaway #2: Offensive rebounds gave the Panthers a chance

As mentioned in the matchup preview, both teams knew this was going to be a physical game. Rebounds were going to be a big decider of who came out on top. While Pitt slightly lost on defensive rebounds, offensive boards were a different story.

The Panthers grabbed 16 out of 24 total offensive rebounds against the Buckeyes. That alone won the game for Pitt as it gave the team extra chances to produce points. That was reflected in the box score with the visitors racking up 20 second-chance points. 

Rebounding has been something that the Panthers have shown weakness in through the first handful of games but when the bar was raised, Pitt answered and stepped up when it mattered most.

Takeaway #3: Pitt deserves to be ranked

It’s impossible to find 25 better teams in college basketball right now, and Pitt absolutely deserves to be listed among the best in the country. The Panthers may not have a resume like Auburn does right now, but it’s one of the better ones through four or five weeks of the season.

Wins over LSU, West Virginia (who beat Gonzaga and Arizona) and now Ohio State should gain the attention of voters. You can understand the hesitation from a few weeks back, but this team has proved its legit. Capel knows beating the Buckeyes on Friday can be a big confidence boost for the rest of the season.

“I’m really, really proud of my team,” said Capel. “Hell of a road win against a really good basketball team, and hopefully this is something we can build off of [in the future].”

The ACC may not have as many good teams as the SEC, Big 10, or Big 12. However, the good ones are really good, and it’s clear that Pitt is right up there this year with the blue bloods of Duke and North Carolina.

Next Game for Pitt (7-1): at Mississippi State (6-0) – Dec. 4 at 9:15 p.m. EST

Next Game for Ohio State (5-2): at Maryland (6-1) – Dec. 4 at 6:30 p.m. EST