Pitt knocks off NC State behind Jaland Lowe

Field Level Media|published: Wed 7th February, 21:27 2024

Jan 27, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Kevin Keatts looks on against the Syracuse Orange during the second half at the JMA Wireless Dome. credits: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Jaland Lowe scored a team-high 20 points, helping Pitt to a 67-64 win over North Carolina State on Wednesday in Raleigh, N.C.

Blake Hinson added 16 points for the Panthers (15-8, 6-6 Atlantic Coast Conference), who have won five of their past six games. Carlton Carrington scored 12 points for Pitt, while Federiko Federiko collected a game-high 10 rebounds.

DJ Horne led NC State (15-8, 7-5) with 25 points, followed by D.J. Burns Jr.'s 19. The Wolfpack saw their modest two-game winning streak come to an end.

After leading by eight points at halftime, Pitt took a 43-30 lead thanks to Lowe's personal 5-0 run to start the second half.

Two Carrington free throws later made it 45-32 before NC State responded with an 8-0 run, cutting the deficit to five with 16:04 left.

After Lowe's free throws with 14:44 remaining pushed the advantage to 10 for the Panthers, the Wolfpack rallied to tie the game at 56 on Casey Morsell's triple at the 7:40 mark.

With 6:30 left, Burns' layup gave NC State its first lead since the 17:39 mark of the first half.

Layups from Hinson and Ishmael Leggett helped Pitt regain the lead, but Horne's jumper equalized the score at 60 with 4:16 remaining. NC State didn't score again until the 1:44 mark, when Horne's free throws cut its deficit to one point at 63-62.

Carrington's missed layup was cleaned up by Federiko's putback with 30 seconds left, followed by Mohamed Diarra's bucket with 11 seconds to go, cutting the Pitt lead to 65-64.

NC State then fouled Lowe, who connected on two free throws with five seconds left, pushing the lead back three points.

NC State's Michael O'Connell then missed a pair of free throws with three seconds left as the Wolfpack failed to complete a comeback.

In the first half, NC State took an early 5-3 lead before Pitt's 17-6 burst, capped by Lowe's jump shot at the 12:52 mark of the first half.

Carrington's free throws at the 8:02 mark gave Pitt a 26-17 advantage. Horne then responded with a pair of triples, cutting the Wolfpack's deficit to three points.

Minutes later, Horne's fourth 3-pointer of the first half helped NC State fight back to knot the score at 30 with 3:41 left.

However, Pitt's 8-0 run gave the Panthers a 38-30 halftime lead.

—Field Level Media

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