GREENSBORO, N.C. — Few teams can say they’ve started a win-or-go-home contest on a 22-2 run. Even fewer possess the resilience to grind out a victory after nearly watching that lead disappear. Pitt achieved both feats Friday afternoon en route to grinding out a 59-41 victory over No. 6 seed Iowa State in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Early on, it seemed as though nothing could go wrong for No. 11 seed Panthers (24-11), who jumped ahead by 20 points in the game’s first 10 minutes thanks to a sluggish start from the opposition. Freshman center Guillermo Diaz Graham, who started his second straight NCAA Tournament game in place of Fede Federiko, led the way for Pitt, scoring seven points in the first half.
The Cyclones (19-14) missed their first 11 shots from the floor, not making a basket until the 9:54 mark. But once Jaren Holmes knocked down a layup for Iowa State’s first field goal, the game flipped. A handful of Pitt turnovers, along with numerous second chances on the offensive glass allowed the Cyclones to storm back, trimming Pitt’s lead to as little as six points.
