Georgia Tech 73 Pitt 57

                   Pitt Loses Season Finale to Georgia Tech 73-57

[Atlanta,Ga] On February 8th, the Pitt Panthers basketball team beat the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets 73-64 and improved to 15-9, their highest winning total in 2 years. Unfortunately, they weren’t so successful in the rematch as they lost to Yellowjackets 73-57 at McCamish Pavilion Wednesday in Atlanta Wednesday night.

Pitt now finishes the regular season on a 7-game losing streak. Pitt’s Jan/Feb/March record since Jamie Dixon left: 14-62

Jose Alvarado scored 23 points, Michael Devoe added 13 and Georgia Tech won its third straight game. Eric Hamilton finished with 12 points and 9 rebounds to pace Pittsburgh (15-16, 6-14). Justin Champagnie had 11 points and shot 7-of-7 from the free throw line, while Au’Diese Toney and Xavier Johnson each had eight points.

Two days after withdrawing an appeal of an NCAA postseason ban, the Yellow Jackets (16-14, 10-9 ACC) got some measure of satisfaction in earning their most wins in league play since 1995-96.

Like they have in their 7-game losing streak, the young Panthers looked out of gas after a long season, as they opened the game trailing 7-2, but then they showed signs of life as they closed the gap to 10-6 and eventually 34-30. But the Panthers couldn’t take the lead once in this game and watched as the Yellowjackets run away in the second half.

They took their biggest lead in the first half at 18 on Alvarado’s layup at the 3:41 mark, but Pitt got threes from Ryan Murphy, Gerald Drumgoole and Johnson to pull within nine at intermission.

Devoe hit a pair of free throws made it 20-9 midway through the for Georgia Tech’s first double- digit lead.

Pitt Forced 18 turnovers for the 17th game forcing 15 or more turnovers and shot just 30.9 percent (17-of-55) from the field for the game … the Panthers are on pace to post the worst shooting season since the 1968-69 season.

Champagnie posted his team leading 22nd double figure scoring game and moved past Sam Clancy and into sixth in the Pitt freshman scoring chart. He now has 379 points and went 7-of-7 from the foul line.

Despite their late-season struggles, the Panthers have improved for the 3rd straight season and are hoping to turn over a new leaf as the ACC Tournament Begins Monday in Greensboro, North Carolina. Meanwhile, the Yellowjackets will finish their regular season vs. Clemson.

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