This is equally as much fun and enthralling as it is borderline unfathomable.
Pitt blew out another mediocre ACC team Tuesday inside the Petersen Events Center, with the latest act a 77-58 thumping of a Boston College team which might have given off the aura of "trap game" to some.
This was not remotely close, even through the shades of the first half which Pitt struggled to find its footing offensively.
Jamarius Burton wore a white headband for the first time this season. He shed it after starting 0-for-2 from the field with two turnovers and an offensive foul in 8 minutes on the floor, as Boston College led Pitt 16-13.
Maybe the headband was bad luck? Pitt ended the final 30:10 of the game on a 64-42 run after Burton got rid of it with 10:10 left in the first half.
OK, maybe it wasn't. But, as Burton settled, so did Pitt.
"I knew that it would take a little bit (to settle) just because of how physical they are," Jeff Capel said. "That's something that we can't simulate in practice, especially this time of the year. We have to stay fresh for the games. And so it took us a while to get used to that, the physicality. We talked about it, but it's one thing to talk about it, and then to come out and to actually play against it. I thought thats why, uncharacteristically, we had nine turnovers in the first half. I thought once we settled into it we got into a good rhythm offensively. We were able to make some shots and get a lead, and I thought we came out in the second half and went on a couple of runs to extend that lead."
Headband superstition or not, this was another page in this storybook season Pitt is authoring. This rendition was primarily written by Blake Hinson, who has been the Mark Twain of Pitt's six-game winning streak dating to Jan. 25. Hinson's 21 points (on 7 of 15 shooting) paced double-digit scoring efforts from all five of Pitt's starters. Hinson has made 24 of 53 3-pointers (45.3%) over Pitt's winning streak.
"I think we just played together," Nelly Cummings said. "I think we're at our best when we play together, and I think the assist numbers show that we played together today. It worked out for us."
The contributing author to this page from Pitt's season was Federiko Federiko, whose lock-down defensive effort on Quinten Post neutralized the Eagles' top scoring threat to the tune of seven points on 2 of 9 shooting. Post fouled out with 3:38 left. Federiko ended with 10 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks while finishing plus-25. He served as one of four Panthers to log a plus-minus of at least plus-24.
"We have so much respect for (Post) as a player," Capel said. "As a player to be shooting, in conference play, almost 57 percent from the field, he's over 40 percent from 3 and 86 (percent) from the foul line. That's big time, those numbers, especially for a post guy, because it's not right there at the basket if you look at his shot chart. I thought we did a really good job. Federiko of pushing him off the block, but then the rest of our guys digging, taking up space, and we did a really good job there."
The bookmark left between now and Saturday's showdown at Virginia Tech will show a six-game winning streak -- the longest against ACC competition since Pitt joined the league. Pitt's home winning streak is now at three, and it has won five of its last seven inside the Petersen Events Center. The combined scoring margin of the last two home wins -- against Louisville and Boston College -- is 168-115.
"I love it. The Oakland Zoo, shout out to the Oakland Zoo," Hinson said. "I love it. Talked to some of the main guys there all the time, and they do a good job of packing this place out."
Pitt (19-7, 12-3 ACC) is in sole possession of first place in the ACC by one-half game over Virginia (11-3 ACC). The Cavaliers are at Louisville Wednesday evening.
MORE FROM THE GAME
• Cummings is not injured, after all. After Capel said during Monday's ACC coaches teleconference his point guard was not going to be at 100% Tuesday, the Midland native looked every bit of it. Cummings has been dealing with a right ankle issue and had some extra tape on it Tuesday.
Though he turned the ball over four times, Cummings tied his season-high for assists with eight while pitching in 11 points and collecting five rebounds, the most most he has grabbed in a game since Jan. 18 at Louisville.
"I'm all good, man," Cummings said with a smirk. "I'm a warrior, man. Nothing's wrong with me. I'm good."
Said Capel: I'm not surprised by it. He is a tough kid, and he's a fighter. There's a difference between being 'hurt' and being 'injured.' He's just hurt -- he was hurting a little bit. He's not injured where he can't play. If Nelly's able to play he's going to give it everything he has. I thought he did a really good job the past couple of days of getting a lot of treatment. I asked him at shootaround today, he said it's the best he's felt in a while. That was good to hear, and we've got to keep him on that treatment plan."
• Pitt held Boston College (12-15, 6-10) to 37% from the field overall while forcing 14 turnovers, winning the rebound margin 44-35, and rushing out in transition for a 24-6 advantage in fast-break points.
"We pride ourself on toughness, so I think any team that's going to bring the toughness to us, we always like that type of stuff. It gets us going," Cummings said.
• A junior Pitt student went home with free rent for a year after making an unbelievable sequence of shots during halftime. Richie Ferris, a member of the Oakland Zoo, stepped to the top of the 3-point arc and was challenged to make two shots from that exact spot: A typical 3-pointer on his end of the floor, and a three-quarter-court heave while standing in the exact same spot and shooting at the other hoop:
FOR A ONE-YEAR LEASE AT @kaufmannsgrand 🤯🤯🤯
— Pitt Panthers (@Pitt_ATHLETICS) February 15, 2023
TWO SHOTS, ONE SPOT. RICHIE DID THAT!#H2P | #SCTOP10 pic.twitter.com/xq5shTszSp
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE 5s
• Boston College: G Jaeden Zackery, G Makai Ashton-Langford, G Prince Aligbe, F Quinten Post, F Devin McGlockton.
• Pitt: G Nelly Cummings, G Greg Elliott, F Jamarius Burton, F Blake Hinson, C Federiko Federiko.
THE ESSENTIALS
THE INJURIES
• Out for the season: F Will Jeffress (foot), F John Hugley IV (personal).
• Did not dress: G KJ Marshall (undisclosed).
THE SCHEDULE
• Pitt's remaining regular-season schedule reads as follows: Saturday at Virginia Tech, 5 p.m.; Tuesday vs. Georgia Tech, 7 p.m.; Feb. 25 vs. Syracuse, 5 p.m.; March 1 at Notre Dame, 7 p.m.; March 4 at Miami, 6 p.m.
The ACC Tournament is scheduled to begin March 7 in Greensboro, N.C.
THE CONTENT
• Visit the Pitt team page for more coverage from the Petersen Events Center. You can listen to the latest episode of the H2P Podcast below.