Pitt hopes to find its legs after exhausting loss to Miami

Jeff Capel made a thought-provoking observation after Pitt’s loss at Miami.

“I thought we were exhausted,” he said Sunday night moments after Miami’s 66-58 victory.

That’s a disturbing comment, especially with Pitt (11-5, 2-3 ACC) facing two more games in the next five days, starting at 7 p.m. Tuesday against No. 11 Louisville (formerly No. 1 for two weeks) at Petersen Events Center.

While losing at Miami, Capel used seven players and allowed sophomore point guard Xavier Johnson, the team’s second-leading scorer, to play just 24 minutes. Johnson came into the game averaging nearly 33 minutes. Capel’s only explanation for Johnson’s limited playing time was “he didn’t play well.” Johnson took five shots, made one and scored four points, almost eight below his average, and was on the bench when Pitt was trying to rally late in the second half.

Capel used only two players off his bench:

• Terrell Brown, who reached double-figuring scoring (10 points) for only the second time this season and the first since the opener Nov. 6.

• Au’Diese Toney, who had missed the two previous games with an elbow injury.

Freshmen Gerald Drumgoole Jr. and Karim Coulibaly, who average fewer than 10 minutes, did not get off the bench.

Trey McGowens played 39 minutes for the second game in a row, and freshman Justin Champagnie, who has missed a total of only three minutes in the past three games, played 38 while missing 13 of 16 shots.

Capel said the quick turnaround will be difficult.

“Especially when it’s a Sunday night game at a destination that is the farthest away from you. Miami is the longest trip we have,” he said.

“It was a hard-fought game, you get home super late and come back, and you have one day to prepare.”

He said every ACC team is scheduled to play two games in three nights at least once per season.

“Hopefully, our guys have legs,” he said. “We have to be smart with what we do with them (in practice).”

The game was Pitt’s fifth against an ACC opponent. Four have been decided by eight or fewer points (average margin 5.5). The ACC is shaping up as a top-heavy conference, with three excellent teams — No. 3 Duke, No. 9 Florida State and No. 11 Louisville — and everyone else. Virginia and Virginia Tech are in the “others receiving votes” column in the Associated Press poll. Virginia has 41, but the Hokies have only five (four fewer than Duquesne).

Of the 15 ACC teams, 12 have lost at least twice. There is a clump of teams, Pitt included, that are similar in talent, which will create many close games decided by those players who step up in the final moments. That’s what Pitt didn’t do in losses to Wake Forest and Miami but did well in victories against Florida State and North Carolina.

“We didn’t have the maturity level necessary as group, every one of us, coaches, everyone, to move onto the next play,” Capel said Sunday night.

“Until we learn that in our program, then we won’t become the consistently good program we are striving to become. It’s unfortunate that we have to learn these lessons in poor performances and with losses, but we have to learn the lessons.”

Pitt’s only conference game with a decisive final score was the Panthers’ 64-46 loss at Louisville on Dec. 6.

The rematch finds Louisville (13-3, 4-1) in the middle of three consecutive road games: Notre Dame, Pitt and and a marquee showdown Saturday at Duke.

“In coach speak,” coach Chris Mack said, “we just worry about the game in front of us.”

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