Pitt coach Jeff Capel could not be more upset with how his Panthers played in their first road game Thursday.
West Virginia finished the first half on a 15-2 run and then scored the first 12 points in the second half in a 71-49 whitewashing.
The Panthers (3-1) will try to bounce back Monday when they host Bucknell (2-2).
“I’m disappointed in how we played,” Capel said. “It was the first time on the road in a hostile environment, in a big-time game like this, and we didn’t handle it well.
“We will learn from this, we will get better from this and it is something that will help us. But we gotta understand things that we need to improve.”
Capel was concerned with the way the Panthers handled the big runs by West Virginia. The Panthers missed their last eight shots in the first half.
Cameron Corhen led the way for the Panthers with 12 points and 10 rebounds. The senior forward is averaging 14.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.
Sophomore guard Brandin Cummings leads the team with 14.7 points per game, and senior guard Damarco Minor has averaged 11.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists.
The Pitt contest will be the Bison’s third game this week. Bucknell is coming off an 83-77 loss to Hofstra, which followed a 73-63 setback at Princeton.
“We have to make sure our bodies are ready because it will be very physical in Pittsburgh,” Bucknell coach John Griffin III said. “I’m sure our guys will be ready. These games are a really great opportunity for us to put our product on a national stage. We are just working hard to be the best team we can be in March.”
Bucknell is led by freshman center Amon Dorries, who is averaging 15.5 points per game. The 6-foot-11 German native also has 5.5 rebounds per game.
Senior forward Ruot Bijiek is leading the Patriot League school with 5.8 rebounds per game while scoring 13.3 points per contest.
