Pitt hosted NC State at the Petersen Events Center on Wednesday evening and was favored to defeat the 8-9 team by four points. Instead, the Panthers were dealt a disappointing 74-73 loss by the Wolfpack, and once again, the outcome was due in part to costly mistakes made by Pitt point guard Xavier Johnson.
The junior’s effort was by no means the problem, as he contributed 14 points and three assists while shooting 5-for-6 from the field, including 1-for-1 from long range, and 3-for-4 from the foul line. However, his tendency to send opponents to the charity stripe, especially with needless technical fouls, was an issue that arose for the second game in a row.