Mississippi State Embarrasses Pitt Basketball: 3 Takeaways

Pitt basketball had a chance to show why they are a top 25 team, but the Panthers tucked their tails and were blown out 90-57.

The Panthers never got much of anything going as the Bulldogs started the game on a 10-4 run. Pitt was able to pull within two before Mississippi State set the offense on cruise control. Before the Panthers could blink, they were down 21 points. The Bulldog dominance continued the rest of the half as they went into the locker room in front 47-25.

While the second half was more competitive on the scoreboard, the damage was already done. Pitt was simply playing for pride. Things improved offensively, but the lackluster defensive effort continued. Mississippi State played smart through the second half, and the Panthers fell by a score of 90-57.

Takeaway #1: Pitt’s first-half shot selection was not up to its standards

Jeff Capel has said after multiple games this year that he doesn’t mind his players shooting as long as they’re good shots. That simply wasn’t the case tonight, and the box score after 20 minutes was proof of that. 

The Panthers shot just 31.3% from the field and 27.3% from behind the arc. Jaland Lowe and Zack Austin accounted for six of the 10 Panthers buckets in the opening frame. 

Pitt has had in-game stretches this season where shots weren’t falling and scoring droughts ensued. However, those were often good looks that didn’t go the Panthers way. This was bad looks that didn’t fall through and feels like rock bottom offensively.

Takeaway #2: Poor rebounding and defense pushed Panthers into bigger hole

If you thought the first-half shooting was bad, the rebounding and defense get worse. Pitt allowed Mississippi State to shoot 54% from the field in the opening 20 minutes. That’s a slight improvement from the first half against Ohio State, but nowhere near good enough at this level. 

Rebounding was no better as the Bulldogs controlled the boards 27-14 in the first half. This was a game that Pitt knew rebounding was going to be key, but the Panthers looked like a JV team going against its varsity counterparts. The sloppiness continued in the second half with the Bulldogs controlling the boards 22-13 in the second frame (49-27 for the game).

This a level of effort the team knows can’t happen ever again. ACC games start on Saturday, and the stakes rise even more. Rebounding is a part of the game that can make you or break you, and it shattered the Panthers to pieces against the Bulldogs.

Takeaway #3: Mississippi State just wanted this one more

Pitt’s players either let the top 25 ranking get to their head or Mississippi State was that upset by not staying in the rankings. The Bulldogs were the better team in all aspects of the game, and the difference on the scoreboard doesn’t reflect which team is more talented. Aside from Lowe, who scored 25 points in the game, nobody else bothered to show up Wednesday night. 

It all came down to effort.

Capel even switched to a zone defense in hopes of throwing a curveball at Mississippi State offensively. Any success with the zone was short lived, and the Bulldogs continued to find their stride offensively. KeyShawn Murphy produced 20 points (tied his career high) from the bench while Mississippi State had six players score 10+ points.

The argument that the Panthers weren’t prepared enough just doesn’t work given how well this team played against Power 5 teams like West Virginia, LSU and Ohio State. The coaching staff has shown its ability to put the players in a position to succeed… and those players let their coaches down against Mississippi State.

Again, it all came down to effort. And that lack of effort made Pitt look foolish under the national spotlight. All the credit in the world goes to Chris Jans for a coaching masterpiece.

Next Game for Pitt (7-2): at Virginia Tech (3-4) – Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. EST

Next Game for Mississippi State (6-2): vs. Prairie View A&M (1-6) – Dec. 8 at 4 p.m. EST