Pitt stifled early and often in loss to Clemson

Abby Schnable, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Jan 31, 2026

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The first meeting between Pitt and Clemson this season came down to the final minutes before the Tigers pulled away. Saturday’s rematch at Littlejohn Coliseum followed a very different script.

Pitt endured arguably its worst first half of the season, managing just 16 points on six made field goals. While Jeff Capel’s squad showed improvement after the break, the early deficit proved too steep to overcome. Foul trouble further thinned Pitt’s frontcourt, and the Panthers ultimately dropped their seventh ACC loss of the season, 63-52.

The game was tied 7-7 early before No. 22 Clemson took control with a 13-4 run as Pitt’s offense stalled. The Panthers made just two of nine shots during the stretch, and while Barry Dunning Jr. briefly cut the deficit to two, a five-point swing capped by a Dillon Hunter 3-pointer pushed the lead to 18-11 with 8:51 left in the half.

Scoring droughts defined the remainder of the half. The Panthers went scoreless for a combined 14:19 across four stretches of three minutes or longer, including a five-minute drought before Kieran Mullen’s layup at the 5:37 mark. Clemson answered with a 10-0 run soon after, and Pitt finished the half with just the half-dozen field goals against a suffocating Tigers defense.

Despite the Panthers slowing Clemson at times, the Tigers’ balance stood out. Four players scored at least five points in the first half, led by Efrem Johnson’s eight, while Damarco Minor’s six were the most for Pitt as Clemson carried a 33-16 lead into halftime.

The second half opened with a spark for Pitt, as Roman Siulepa drew a foul and converted an and-one, followed immediately by an easy layup from Cam Corhen. But that momentum was quickly overshadowed by mounting foul trouble in the frontcourt, as Corhen picked up his third foul within the first minute of the half — joining Siulepa and Mullen, who each had three coming into the half.

The Panthers continued to chip away at Clemson’s lead, but without their bigs' ability to play with much physicality, the Tigers repeatedly took advantage inside. Carter Welling thrived against the shortened frontcourt, scoring eight points in the second half to help Clemson maintain control.

Each time Pitt threatened to build momentum, it was undone by an easy Clemson basket or a costly turnover. Omari Witherspoon struggled against the Tigers’ defensive pressure, committing five of Pitt’s 14 turnovers as Clemson consistently turned mistakes into points.

As Pitt’s issues persisted, Clemson remained steady. Nick Davidson buried a dagger 3-pointer with just over five minutes remaining to push the lead to 20. Pitt responded with a late 10-0 run sparked by veterans Dunning, Corhen and Minor, whose back-to-back 3s cut the deficit to 62–52 with 2:18 left.

But it was too little, too late, and Pitt fell to 2-7 in ACC play.

Player of the game

Despite Davidson being in foul trouble for much of the game, it did not stop him from diving to the floor or muscling his way to the basket. Clemson’s redshirt senior forward contributed 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 2vofv4 from 3-point range. He also added a pair of rebounds and an assist.

Key stat

From the opening tip, officials called a tight game — a tough break for an already-thin Pitt roster. The Panthers were whistled for 14 fouls to Clemson’s 11, and by the 9:20 mark of the second half, Corhen, Siulepa and Mullen each had four fouls. Clemson capitalized at the line, converting 17 of its 20 free-throw attempts.

Up next

The Panthers continue their road swing with a trip to Virginia on Tuesday, marking Pitt’s third ranked opponent of the season. Pitt is 0–2 in such games so far, with losses to Louisville and Clemson. Tip off with the Cavaliers is set for 9 p.m. ET.

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