Game 7: I hope this helps them in March: Pitt 69 Indiana 81

Indiana is the 7th highest scoring team in Division 1 at 87.4 points per game.  Of course this was helped by a season-opening 116-65 win over Mississippi Valley State, but still, the Hoosiers can score.  Pitt can't defend, so you knew this one would be ugly.


I dissed Chris Jones after a missed shot, turnover, and foul early.  To spite me, he turned into Steph Curry at the end of the half.  Pitt was down 13 before Jones scored 11 points in 2 minutes (3 three-pointers and two free throws).  Cameron Johnson followed that with another three before halftime.  That barrage of threes would probably be enough to bring Pitt back, but unfortunately every single three by Jones was matched by an easy basket for Indiana.  After starting 5-8 (3-4 from 3) in the first half, Jones turned back into Chris Jones and was 1-9 (0-4 from 3) in the second half.


Indiana shot 54.1% to become yet another team to shoot above 50 against Pitt.  To give you an idea of how poor Pitt's defense has been across the board, here are the shooting numbers for every Hoosier.


Starters
4-6 8 points
5-10 10 points
4-7 11 points
5-14 13 points
2-4 6 points
Bench
3-5 7 points
6-6 15 points
1-1 3 points
0-2 0 points
3-6 8 points


8 players shot above 50% and the bench shot a collective 65%.  The 6-6 guy was a 6'7" freshmen forward named Emmitt Holt, who's had a rough year.  He's only played 17 minutes total in the first six games of the year, and he didn't even play at all in four of them.  Naturally, Pitt couldn't stop him at all.


Pitt returns to their regular scheduled cupcake non-conference schedule with the City Game on Friday then five more also-rans before the ACC schedule starts.  If Pitt loses any of these games, they won't make the tournament.  Pitt also begins the conference slate with 5 winnable games (@NCST, @BC, Clemson, FSU, GT) before embarking on a month of hell from January 19 to February 21.  In that span Pitt will play 5 teams ranked in the top 12 of the poll (3 on the road) and that doesn't even include playing Syracuse twice.  It's going to be an ugly month.  Please come back Cam Wright.


Hail to Pitt,
J.O.