Pitt basketball rallied around a late first-half surge to defeat Cal 86-74.
Cal started the first half strong by scoring 13 of the first 18 points of the game as the Panthers desperately missed Ishmael Leggett (lower-body injury). Pitt looked slow and second-best in almost all facets of the game. The Panthers pulled to within one possession, but the Golden Bears surged once again and led by as many as 16. However, this group of Pitt basketball players rallied around its supportive crowd through animosity to go on an 11-1 run at the end of the half and go into the locker room trailing 42-38.
The Panthers started the second half strong the same way they ended the first. Pitt posted an 11-4 run, and Cal could only try to stop the bleeding. Jaland Lowe and Cam Corhen put this game on their backs for the Panthers knowing they were more than capable of winning. The Golden Bears shortened the deficit to five on a few occasions. However, Pitt came away with the 86-74 win.
Takeaway #1: Poor first-half rebounding almost killed the Panthers
Jeff Capel made it a point to mention after the Sam Houston game on Dec. 21 that the Panthers have lost both games they were out-rebounded. While it played with fire a little bit today, this Pitt basketball team struggled on the boards.
Offensive rebounding was especially a problem for the Panthers as they allowed the Golden Bears to lead 9-4 in that category in the opening 20 minutes of play. Controlling the glass is an important part of Capel’s style of play, and it almost cost his team on Wednesday. The Golden Bears grabbed 11 of 19 offensive rebounds.
“We rebounded [in the second half,” said Capel. “They had nine offensive rebounds in the first half. They finished with 11, so I thought that was huge to keep them off the glass.”
It’s not common for teams to come out on top after allowing the opponent to win the battle of the boards for as long as Cal did in Wednesday’s game. The second half was certainly better, but this Pitt basketball team will need to turn it around for Saturday against Stanford.
Takeaway #2: Jeremiah Wilkinson was a difference-maker off the bench
Much of the focus for this Pitt basketball team coming into Wednesday’s game was trying to limit Andrej Stojakovic. Even though he led the Golden Bears in scoring, it was Jeremiah Wilkinson coming off the bench who made things difficult for the Panthers.
Wilkinson surged in the first half with 11 points, highlighted by going 4-10 from the field and 2-6 from behind the arc. Every time Pitt thought it found an answer for him, he would continue to make the game difficult.
“Jeremiah has been someone who is locked in since got on campus,” said Cal head coach Mark Madsen. “Jeremiah wants to be great, he works extremely hard and he is just a prolific threat every time he steps onto the court.”
His performance was slightly better than the first half as he finished with 24 points. Wilkinson left a mark on the game and made things much more difficult for the Panthers than they would have liked.
Takeaway #3: Cam Corhen’s dominant performance came at the right time
Corhen has now produced back-to-back games for Pitt with 15+ points after going through a small stint of not having much offensive success. His 19 points and 11 rebounds today set season highs, and he stepped up big for the Panthers in Leggett’s absence.
“I just knew somebody had to step up,” said Corhen. “It was a collective team effort but with Ish being out, we had to be more aggressive offensively.”
His strong presence in the post is part of why Capel was set on bringing him in through the portal. He has scored in double digits now eight times this season, highlighted by six straight games to start the season.
“Cam can really pass, and our guards get a lot of attention,” said Capel. “So I thought he was really good on some of his passes on the short rolls… and that’s what we tried to emphasize with him is to do those things. The thing we’ve challenged him with since he’s been here is to rebound the basketball better.”
Leggett’s injury is undisclosed, and there is no definitive timetable on when he will return. Regardless of the length of time he is sidelined, this Pitt basketball team will need Corhen to continue to be a part of the supporting cast of scorers.
Next up for Pitt (11-2, 2-0): vs Stanford (9-3, 1-0) – Jan. 4 at 6:30 p.m.
Next up for Cal (7-6, 0-2): at Clemson (10-3, 2-0) – Jan. 4 at 8:30 p.m.