Jeff Capel knows that Pitt let a winnable game slip from its grasp due to self-inflicted wounds.
“I think we missed eight layups,” Capel said. “So, you look at that and think if we just do these things and make half of the layups, make our free throws in the game, perhaps it’s a different outcome.”
What’s troubling is that Capel above, speaking with reporters Monday, was referring to Pitt’s Dec. 30 ACC opener at Miami, not Wednesday’s road loss at Boston College.
But to be sure, after the Boston College defeat, Capel most likely made a very similar assessment as to why the Panthers (8-11, 1-5 ACC) did not leave Chestnut Hill, Mass., with a win.
Versus Miami three weeks ago, Pitt built a 10-point halftime lead but was outscored by 17 in the second half before falling, 76-69.
As Capel alluded to, opportunities for easy points were squandered at multiple instances.
At the free-throw line, Pitt went just 9 of 17 (52.9%).
Arriving at Boston College on Wednesday, Pitt had immense trouble getting points early, as the Panthers shot only 7 for 30 (23.3%) from the field in the first half, while missing five of 11 free throws.
The second half saw much stronger shooting (17 of 33, 51.5%) but only 1 of 6 free throws converted.
By game’s end, Pitt had gone 7 of 17 from the charity stripe for a season-worst 41.2% success rate.
Brandin Cummings, one of the team’s strongest free throw shooters, missed three, hitting 4 of 7, while Roman Siulepa’s struggles at the line continued.
After making only 3 of 6 free throws Wednesday, his conversion rate on the year sits at 47.1% (24 of 51), worst on the team.
Omari Witherspoon also missed both of his free throws in the three-point loss.
Missed layups were an even wider team affair than the struggles of a few at the free-throw line.
Not counting a handful of blocked attempts, Pitt missed 15 layups: Siulepa was the worst offender with four misses, Nojus Indrusaitis had three, Cummings, Cam Corhen and Kieran Mullen had two apiece, while Macari Moore missed one as well.
At this point, deriving silver linings from losses is becoming an increasingly stale task for Pitt.
Had the Panthers beaten Boston College, they would have had a lot to celebrate, given the trials of the season to date, on top of playing the majority of the contest without starting point guard Damarco Minor.
Minor was ejected with 8:30 to go before halftime as a result of a reviewed flagrant 2 foul call, having made hard contact with Boston College’s Chase Forte on a layup attempt.
Minus Minor, the Panthers were forced to turn to Moore for extended minutes.
After playing a combined 17 minutes over his past five games entering Wednesday, Moore hit that total in one night against the Eagles, setting a new career-high.
While he looked a bit off-balance to start, Moore hit a 3-pointer and another bucket within 35 seconds around midway through the final half to help Pitt take a small lead.
Moore finished with five points and a team-high four assists.
With a win Wednesday, Capel could have celebrated his team’s effort in the face of adversity, appreciating having gotten Moore some meaningful minutes.
No such elation likely followed the Panthers back to Pittsburgh, where they’ll next host N.C. State on Saturday at Petersen Events Center.
While it wasn’t a 41-point loss like Pitt suffered to Louisville on Jan. 17, Wednesday still stung on another level.
For Capel and Pitt, Moore feeling a bit more comfortable his next time out following his solid night against the Eagles looks to be about the only possible positive takeaway in the aftermath of another deflating defeat.
“I thought Mac stepped up,” assistant coach Jason Capel said after the loss on 93.7 FM. “He played a season-high (17) minutes and you have to have that. (Four) assists, only one turnover, got in the paint and made some nice passes, had a nice little floater in there – we need everybody.
“We don’t have a deep bench, so we need everybody, all hands on deck, to do their job and be ready to do their job when their number is called. Tip your hat to Mac, he did that and we’re going to need him as the season progresses.”