Austin Three With 0.4 Remaining Sends Pitt To 91
The game was a see-saw affair from the opening tip, with neither team able to pull away for an extended period. Pitt led by eight points with less than five minutes remaining, but Austin rallied, tying the game at 90 with just 1:02 on the clock.
After a Pitt timeout, the Panthers worked the ball around until Kene Chukwuka drew a foul with 7.7 seconds left. Chukwuka made the first free throw but missed the second, giving Austin the chance to tie the game.
Coach Capel drew up a play for Austin, who came off a screen and received the pass at the top of the key. With the defender draped all over him, Austin calmly drained the shot, sending the Petersen Events Center into a frenzy.
Austin finished the game with a team-high 25 points, including three three-pointers in the second half. His last-second shot was his third of the game, a career-high for the freshman.
"I couldn't have done it without my teammates," said Austin. "They got me open and I was able to knock it down."
For Pitt, the loss was a tough one to swallow. The Panthers led for most of the game and had a chance to win it at the free throw line.
"It's a tough loss," said Pitt coach Jeff Capel. "We played hard for 40 minutes and came up short. I'm proud of our guys and we'll learn from this."
The win improves Austin's record to 15-10 overall and 8-7 in ACC play. The Panthers fall to 12-13 and 4-11 in conference action.
Austin will next travel to Louisville on Saturday, while Pitt will host Virginia Tech on Monday.