Panthers Return to Action Saturday Against McNeese State

Pitt (5-5, 0-0 ACC) vs. McNeese State (2-6, 0-0 Southland)
Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017 • 2:00 p.m. • ACC Network Extra
Pittsburgh, Pa. • Petersen Events Center

The Opening Tip

Pitt (5-5) hosts McNeese State (2-6) Saturday, Dec. 16 at the Petersen Events Center. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra and is scheduled to tipoff at 2 p.m.
The Panthers have won four of their past five contests with Marcus Carr averaging a team-high 15.4 points per game, while shooting 57.5 percent (23-of-40) from the field and 91.7 percent (22-of-24) from the foul line, in that span.
Ryan Luther is averaging 13.2 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.0 steals per game over the past five contests.
Seven different Panthers have scored in double figures this season with Ryan Luther leading the way with eight double-digit efforts. Luther leads the team in scoring (12.7 ppg.), rebounds (10.1 rpg.), blocks (seven) and steals (16).

Last Time Out

Pitt had a four-game win streak snapped in a hard-fought 69-60 loss to No. 18 West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl presented by EQT Corporation.
Ryan Luther recorded his fourth double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points and 12 rebounds, to lead the Panthers.
Marcus Carr and Shamiel Stevenson each scored 12 points in the loss, while Jared Wilson-Frame added nine points and five rebounds.
Pitt outrebounded the Mountaineers, 38-32, on the night but could not overcome 10 made threes by West Virginia.
The Panthers cut an 18-point halftime deficit to two points with 5:31 left to play before going 0-of-6 from the field to close the game.

By The Numbers

Ryan Luther leads the team in scoring (12.7 ppg.), rebounds (10.1 rpg.), blocks (seven) and steals (16). Luther and Bonzie Colson (Notre Dame) are the only players in the ACC to lead their teams in all four categories.
Marcus Carr has scored in double figures in each of the past four contests. He is averaging 17.3 points per game, while shooting 20-of-32 (.625) from the field, 8-of-13 (.615) from three-point range and 21-of-23 (.913) from the foul line in that span.
Ryan Luther has led the team in rebounding in each of the past nine contests. Luther has four double-doubles and five double-figure rebounding efforts on the season. He is currently third in the ACC in rebounding (10.1 rpg.).
Shamiel Stevenson has scored in double figures in each of the past three games. He is averaging 13.0 points per game, while shooting 64.7 percent (11-of-17) from the field, in that span. Stevenson leads the Panthers in field goal percentage (.569) and free throw attempts (49).
Ryan Luther is one of three players in the ACC, along with Duke's Marvin Bagley III and North Carolina's Luke Maye, averaging a double-double on the year. Luther enters Saturday's contest averaging 12.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
The Panthers' Canadian tandem of Marcus Carr and Shamiel Stevenson combines to average 22.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, while shooting 52.1 percent (73-of-140) from the field.
The Panthers have started seven different lineups, with nine players starting a game. Ryan Luther and Jared Wilson-Frame are the lone players to start all 10 games for the Panthers. The duo combines to average 25.2 points and 13.1 rebounds per game.
Four Panthers - Ryan Luther (12.7 ppg.), Jared Wilson-Frame (12.5 ppg.), Marcus Carr (12.0 ppg.) and Shamiel Stevenson (10.8 ppg.) - are averaging double figures in scoring. The quartet combines for 68.6 percent (480-of-700) of the team's scoring on the year.
Marcus Carr (.921, 35-of-38) and Jonathan Milligan (.833, 20-of-24) combined to shoot 88.7 percent (55-of-62) from the foul line. Milligan has converted 14 consecutive free throws, while Carr ranks third in the ACC in free throw percentage.
Kene Chukwuka missed the West Virginia game due to illness. The junior forward is averaging 7.0 points on 5-of-7 (.714) shooting to go along with 4.0 rebounds per game over his past two games played.
Ryan Luther ranks third in the ACC in offensive rebounds (3.60 orpg.). He is averaging 5.3 offensive boards per game over the past three contests, including a career-best eight offensive rebounds against Mount St. Mary's. Luther has three or more offensive rebounds in a game six times this season.
The Panthers are shooting 53.9 percent (161-of-299) from inside the three-point arc on the season. Pitt is 75-of-223 (.336) from beyond the arc over the first 10 games of the season.
Pitt is 139-7 (.952) all-time in non-conference play at Petersen Events Center following last Saturday's loss to No. 18 West Virginia. The Panthers have not lost consecutive non-conference home games since the venue opened prior to the 2002-03 season.
The Panthers are shooting 50.4 percent (125-of-248) from the field and 77.9 percent (88-of-113) from the foul line in their five wins. In contrast, Pitt has shot just 40.5 percent (111-of-274) from the field, 29.1 percent (34-of-117) from three-point range and 65.7 percent (65-of-99) from the foul line in its five losses.
Pitt has outrebounded four of its past five opponents and has a +6.0 rebound margin in that span. The Panthers were outrebounded in each of the first five games of the season.
Pitt is one of eight teams in the ACC with four or more players averaging in double figures. The Panthers are one of two teams in the conference (along with Miami) without a player ranking in the top 25 in scoring. Last season, Pitt had two of the top seven scorers (Michael Young and Jamel Artis) in the ACC.

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Panthers Return to Action Saturday Against McNeese State

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jamel Artis

Marcus Carr

Kene Chukwuka

Ryan Luther

Jonathan Milligan

Shamiel Stevenson

Jared Wilson-Frame

Michael Young

Panthers Return to Action Saturday Against McNeese State

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jamel Artis

Marcus Carr

Kene Chukwuka

Ryan Luther

Jonathan Milligan

Shamiel Stevenson

Jared Wilson-Frame

Michael Young

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