Pittsburgh @ Louisville preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 9, 2019 ) Louisville 86, Pittsburgh 89

Louisville looks to continue its hot play in ACC action when it hosts Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon. The 24th-ranked Cardinals are coming off an impressive win over No. 19 North Carolina State on Thursday evening, their fourth win in a row after losing at Pitt on Jan. 9, while the Panthers were blown out by No. 2 Duke in their last game.

Senior guard Christen Cunningham scored a team-high 17 points, including five crucial free throws over the final 2 1/2 minutes, as Louisville used a 24-5 advantage at the foul line to edge the Wolfpack 84-77 and stay in a tie atop the ACC standings. Pitt, a program being rebuilt by former Duke assistant Jeff Capel, held a 16-15 lead early in the first half before the Blue Devils’ stars took over, going on a run that gave them a 44-25 halftime lead. "Look, they're better than us," Capel told the media after the 79-64 loss. "They're more talented than us. I think that's what it was. I don't think it was just the zone. I think it was their talent." Pitt has lost three of four since knocking off the Cardinals 89-86 in overtime earlier this month in a game where freshmen guards Xavier Johnson and Trey McGowens combined for 54 points.

TV: 2 p.m. ET, ACC Network

ABOUT PITTSBURGH (12-7, 2-4 ACC): Johnson and McGowens, the team’s top two scorers, were unable to solve the zone defense Capel was referring to against the Blue Devils on Tuesday. Johnson (16.6 points) watched his school freshmen record of 18 straight games in double figures get snapped with a season-low eight points and didn’t get to the foul line, while McGowens (13.9) managed 14 points but had just one free-throw attempt. The Panthers were also outrebounded 39-34, committed 14 turnovers and had seven shots blocked by the Blue Devils.

ABOUT LOUISVILLE (14-5, 5-1): Cunningham, who ranks second in team scoring (10.8 points) and shoots 48.8 percent from the field, was 4-of-7 from the field but managed to get to the free-throw line 11 times, making nine of those attempts. Center Malik Williams added 14 points as five Cardinals reached double figures in scoring. Louisville stepped up defensively on Thursday, forcing N.C. State into a season-high 23 turnovers, which the Cardinals turned into 37 points.

TIP-INS

1. Louisville leads the all-time series 16-6, including 9-1 against Pitt at home.

2. The Cardinals have scored 80-plus points in 12 of 19 games and are averaging 80.2 points for the season.

3. Louisville is the fifth ranked opponent that Pitt has faced in its last seven games (the Cardinals were not a Top 25 team when the teams met earlier this month).

PREDICTION: Louisville 88, Pittsburgh 80