ACC Tournament Thrilling Contest
In a thrilling contest at the ACC Tournament in Charlotte, N.C., the 15th-seeded Pittsburgh Panthers secured a nail-biting 64-63 victory against the 10th-seeded Stanford Cardinal on Tuesday. The decisive moment came from Damarco Minor, whose determination shone as he scored with just 0.7 seconds remaining after scrambling for the rebound following his own missed shot.
Despite having a tough night shooting – finishing only 2-of-10 from the field and failing to convert any of his seven attempts from beyond the arc – Minor’s clutch performance propelled Pitt (13-19) to the next stage of the tournament, where they will face seventh-seeded NC State on Wednesday.
Game Highlights
The game featured a dramatic final stretch where Stanford briefly took the lead through Ebuka Okorie’s three-point play with 26.2 seconds left on the clock. After Minor’s missed three-pointer, Pittsburgh managed to recover the ball amid a chaotic scramble. His second chance in the paint proved decisive, giving his team the late advantage.
For Stanford (20-12), Okorie, who entered the matchup as the nation’s second-highest scoring freshman with an average of 23.1 points per game, contributed 14 points, while teammates Benny Gealer and AJ Rohosy added 11 and 10 points, respectively. The Cardinal also held a significant advantage with Rohosy leading the team in rebounding with seven grabs.
Both teams exhibited fierce competition, illustrated by 11 lead changes and four ties throughout the game. However, Pittsburgh managed to exploit their size advantage, dominating the offensive rebounding battle 20-7 and outscoring Stanford 25-7 in second-chance points.
Final Moments
Pittsburgh gained momentum at the end of the first half, scoring the last eight points to establish a 31-23 lead. Although Stanford mounted five separate comebacks in the second half to reclaim the lead, they were ultimately unable to secure the win. This loss for Stanford effectively ends their aspirations for a spot in the NCAA Tournament, leaving them to await their postseason outlook.
