Jamie Rhodes-USA Today Sports
On the road in a hostile environment, the Pittsburgh Panthers were hoping to send Louisville to a fourth consecutive loss. However, the Cardinals toughed out a 64-61 victory, sending the Panthers to 5-4 within in the Big East Conference.
At 17-5 overall, Pittsburgh has put themselves in a position where they are likely to dance come March, barring a late collapse in conference play of course. For the time being and despite the loss at Louisville, the Panthers still remain in decent shape with February nearing its arrival.
As for Monday’s game however, a three point defeat could’ve turned into a huge road victory had the Panthers been able to convert at the free throw line. As a team, Pittsburgh finished a mere 3-of-12 from the charity line on Monday, a 25% mark that certainly isn’t acceptable on the road against a top 15 team.
It’s one of those “what if” situations in which Pittsburgh can look back at the contest and know things could have been different. Missing nine free throws on the road in a game that was decided by only three points certainly tells a lot. The biggest disappointments at the line came from freshman forward Steven Adams and guard Trey Zeigler. The two combined for a 1-of-8 mark from the line with Zeigler converting the lone make.
Despite the loss and costly free throw shooting, Pittsburgh did have a lot of positives to take from the game, despite the defeat ending a four-game winning streak overall. The Panthers can make a monumental statement this upcoming weekend as No. 6 Syracuse rolls into town on Saturday.
Follow Paul Seaver on Twitter: @PaulSeaverRS
Source:
http://www.rantsports.com/ncaa-basketball/2013/01/28/free-throw-shooting-coslty-for-pittsburgh-panthers-in-loss-at-louisville/
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