How Pitt completed its improbable comeback from 18 down. An in-depth look at the final 11:35 – Pitt’s execution and Oakland’s lack thereof

Sunday, 18 November 2012 09:53

Written by Ray Fittipaldo

After building an 18-point lead and dominating Pitt for long stretches, here is how Oakland blew the game Saturday night. The Golden Grizzlies led 48-30 with 11:35 left. In the final 11:35, they committed 9 turnovers and committed 10 fouls. They were 4 for 8 from the foul line and 3 for 7 from the field. Their final field goal of regulation came with 4:51 remaining.

Pitt, by contrast, was 8 for 18 from the field and 8 for 9 from the foul line in that span. And they only committed three turnovers and four fouls.

The most amazing part of the comeback was how the Panthers got the deficit from 18 to 4 in 6:10. In that portion of the comeback, the Panthers were 6 for 8 from the field and 4 for 5 on 3-pointers.

They cooled off considerably after that, but what won the game was the press. The Panthers forced turnovers rather than fouling at the end of regulation, which did not allow Oakland to salt the game away at the line. Yes, the Golden Grizzlies shot only 50 percent from the line in the final 11:25, but they only got to the line once in the final minute.

Travis Bader, a 95 percent free-throw shooter, missed that shot with 56 seconds remaining.

Most great comebacks are forged with execution and poor play by the opponent. And yes, luck.  

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