Field Level Media
Jan 9, 2019
Freshman guard Trey McGowens scored 33 points Wednesday, including a fastbreak layup with 38 seconds remaining in overtime, and Pittsburgh ended a 23-game Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season losing streak with a 89-86 victory over visiting Louisville.
McGowens delivered the highest scoring game from a freshman in Pitt history while leading the Panthers (11-4, 1-1 ACC) in scoring for the fourth consecutive time.
Senior guard Christen Cunningham scored 23 points for the Cardinals (10-5, 1-1), who lost for the second time in the past three games and fell in their first ACC road game of the season. Louisville saw its 12-game winning streak over Pitt come to an end.
The Cardinals closed out regulation on a 14-2 run to force overtime but could not sustain the momentum in the extra period.
McGowens scored 14 consecutive Pitt points between the end of the first half and the start of the second half in leading the Panthers to their first conference victory since beating No. 17 Florida State in February 2017.
The Panthers delivered on the defensive end as well, forcing the Cardinals into 18 turnovers.
Fellow freshman guard Xavier Johnson scored 21 points with 10 assists for the Panthers, his 15th double-digit scoring effort of the season. McGowens has scored in double digits 11 times. It was the second time this season Johnson and McGowens have combined for at least 45 points.
Sophomore forward Jordan Nwora scored just eight points for Louisville on 2-of-14 shooting. He entered averaging 19.3 points per game over his past seven contests. Junior forward Dwayne Sutton had 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Cardinals, who got 14 points from Steven Enoch and 11 from Ryan McMahon.
Trailing by double digits nearly all of the first nine minutes of the second half, Louisville put together a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 63-60 with eight minutes remaining. However, Pitt answered with a 9-0 run to take a 72-60 lead.
Pitt then answered Louisville's late-game 14-2 run by scoring five of the final seven points in overtime.
Sophomore center Terrell Brown had 11 points and five blocked shots for Pitt before he fouled out.
Clyde Vaughn had the previous high-point game from a freshman at Pitt when he scored 29 in a 1980 contest against James Madison.
--Field Level Media