Pitt vs. Mississippi State – First Four NCAA tournament extended highlights

BY TOLU SMITH LOOKING IN. THEY WANT TO ESTABLISH SMITH ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. THREE UP TOP. IT’S GOOD. LEFT-HANDED THREE BY SHAKEEL >> Tom: SHAKEEL. THE REBOUND BY HINSON NO GOOD. PULLED DOWN BY MISSISSIPPI STATE. OH, THERE HE GOES. >> Avery: IT WILL BE INTERESTING HOW TOLU SMITH DEFENDS INSIDE. >> HE SHOWED A LOT OF EXPERIENCE >> Tom: THAT’S RIGHT. HE HAD AN OPEN CHANCE A TT A THE EARLY. AND IT GOES IN. IT’S A FOUR-POINT PLAY! THAT WILL CHANGE THE FIRST >> Avery: AND THIS IS A REALLY STRONG DEFENSIVE TEAM, MISSISSIPPI STATE. YOU’RE NOT GOING TO

GET ANYTHING EASY. THAT MAY ONE OF THE EASIER ONES YOU’RE GOING TO GET TO. >> Tom: THAT ELBOW JUMPER OFF THE SCREEN LEFT HIM WIDE OPEN. SO WE’RE TIED UP AT 5. >> Tom: YEAH. DAVIS. TOLU SMITH. THAT’S A TOUGH PASS. HE’S DOUBLE TEAMED NOW IN THE POST. JEFFRIES UP TOP FOR THREE. YES! NOTHING BUT NET. >> Avery: D.J. JEFFRIES HAS SOME HE’S BEEN A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, INCONSISTENT. NOT AS EFFICIENT AS YOU WANT TO BE. THIS KID WAS SERIOUSLY RECUTE P KR HE LEFT ME AT THE ALTAR. >> Tom: GREG ELLIOT MADE THAT THREE.

JEFFRIES. HE’LL TAKE ANOTHER THREE. IT’S GOOD! THAT’S A GREAT SIGN FOR MISSISSIPPI STATE. FOOTWORK AP ND HIS PASSING. TOLU SMITH WITH THE BLOCK. >> Avery: THAT’S WHEN

MISSISSIPPI STATE WILL TRY TO RUNS ARE ON OPPORTUNITY BREAKS LIKE THIS. >> Tom: AND MOORE CANS THE THREE-POINTER. HE’S GOT SIX. THEY’RE RAINING THREES RIGHT IT’S THE WORST BY AN NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAM SINCE 2010, WINTHROP, BUT THEY’VE ALREADY CONVERTED FOUR. AND THEY AVERAGE 5.2 PER GAME. THAT’S A BEAUTIFUL SHOT BY BURTON. THAT’S WHY HE’S A THROWBACK. CUMMINGS WITH THE REBOUND. >> Avery: STILL REALLY HAVEN’T TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF TOLU

SMITH. >> Tom: DIAZ GRAHAM FOR THREE! IT GOOD! YOU MENTIONED IT, HE’S GOT TO STEP OUT AND MAKE THOSE. >> Avery: YEAH, HE’S REALLY NOT THAT WILL BE A GOOD MATCHUP, TOO, WHOEVER WINS THIS ONE. TO THE CORNER FOR STEVENSON, UP TOP FOR DAVIS. SHOT CLOCK IS AT 10. STEVENSON AT THE FREE-THROW LINE. OVER TO SHAWN JONES. BURTON GOT HIS HANDS ON IT. IT’S A TIGHT WINDOW, JUST 6 ON TOLU SMITH ON THE BALL INDEPENDENT OF WHO IS TAKING IT OUT. >> Tom: SHOT CLOCK IS AT 5. HE’S IN TRAFFIC. HE’LL LET IT FLY FOR

THREE. >> Tom: AND FREE THROW, ENDS A DROUGHT FOR THE BULLDOGS. SIBANDE. ELLIOTT FOR THREE. IT’S GOING TO COUNT, THE BUCKET, OUR SECOND FOUR-POINT PLAY. THERE HAVE BEEN OPPORTUNITIES BUT THEY HAVEN’T CONVERTED. MOORE ASSESSING. TEAR DROP NO GOOD. SMITH PUTS IT BACK IN. A LITTLE POWER MOVE BY TOLU SMITH. THAT’S A LOT OF REBOUNDS. >> Avery: COACH CAPEL, I BLOW H BELIEVE HE’S OKAY WITH THAT SHOT. >> Tom: THEY’RE BEING OUTREBOUNDING 15-9. WE ENJOYED OUR SITDOWN WITH JEFF CAPEL YESTERDAY. IT’S SAVED BY SHAKEEL MOORE. DAVIS GETS THE BUCKET TO GO. THAT’S WHERE HE WANTED TO

GO AND TRANSFERRED. >> HE GOT HIS DEGREE AT COLGATE. COLGATE DIDN’T HAVE ANY GRAD PROGRAMS. HAD TO FIND ANOTHER TO PLACE TO PLAY. CUMMINGS GOES RIGHT AND LAYS IT >> Tom: THE PITT PANTHERS SORT OF GELLED QUICKLY. A LOT OF TIMES YOU DON’T GEL QUICKLY WHEN YOU BRING IN A LOT NO GOOD. JEFFRIES WITH THE REBOUND. >> Avery: JEFFRIES KNOCKED DOWN A COUPLE OF THREES EARLY. >> Tom: McNAIR GETS THE REBOUND, THOUGH. PUTS IT BACK UP AND RIGHT OFF THE FRONT OF THE RIM. CUMMINGS AGAIN ON McNAIR. TRIED A THREE BEFORE. THIS TIME HE’S GOING

TO SLIP IT INSIDE. SHOT IS BLOCKED BY McNAIR! DIAZ DIDN’T HAVE A CHANCE. I GUESS THAT JEFF CAPEL FELT HE NEEDED MORE FLOW OFFENSIVELY? >> Avery: YES. >> Tom: CUMMINGS. HIS THREE IS GOOD! GOT SOME SPACE AND GOT IT TO FLY! >> Avery: THEY’RE GOING TO >> Tom: NO, I THINK JEFF CAPEL JUST WANTED HIS TEAM TO BE IN THE MIX. A SPEED ADVANCE AGAINST McNAIR. A LITTLE SHAKE AND BWAKE, KICKS IT OUT. THEY GOT THE SWITCH FROM McNAIR. THEY DIDN’T TRY TO POST UP DIAZ GRAHAM. >> Tom: HE’S GOING TO FINISH WITH CLOSE TO

2,000 MINUTES TO HIS COLLEGE CAREER. >> Avery: YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY NOT A GOOD DECISION IN THAT SITUATION. NICE LITTLE PIVOT AND PASS. HE HAD A BIG GUY OPEN FOR A THREE. >> Tom: AND MURPHY INTO THE PAINT. ELLIOT’S FOUND A NICE HOME WITH THE PITT PANTHERS. >> Avery: TOLU SMITH MISSED HIM EARLY ON. >> Tom: EXTRA PASS TO THE LEFT FOR DAVIS. IT’S GOOD! DAVIS HAD A NICE FIRST HALF. HE’S GOT NINE. HE AVERAGES 8 1/2. GOALS, 12 COMBINED BETWEEN THE TWO TEAMS MICHIGAN A LITTLE TWO-THREE ZONE HERE FROM MISSISSIPPI STATE. >> Tom: LITTLE CHANGE-UP. >>

Avery: YEAH, A LITTLE CHANGE-UP. >> Tom: CUMMINGS TRYING TO SHOOT OVER IT BEHIND DOES! >> Avery: AND PHILOSOPHICALLY TOLU SMITH PLAYED JUST 11 1/2 MINUTES IN THE FIRST HALF. HERE’S SHAQUILLE MOORE. JUMPER’S GOOD. MOORE HAS PLAYED REALLY WELL FOR MISSISSIPPI STATE. >> Avery: AND THE GUYS IN THE STUDIO ALLUDED TO HOW HE STRUGGLED IN HIS LAST GAME AGAINST ALABAMA, 1 FOR 11. MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE TONIGHT. >> Tom: HE’S AVERAGING POVER 11 >> Tom: THAT’S THE FIRST TURNOVER FROM PITT SINCE 9:32 IN THE FIRST HALF. THEY’VE ONLY COMMITTED THREE. DAVIS WILL STOP AND DROP. HE HAS

11 POINTS FOR MISSISSIPPI THEY ACTUALLY PRACTICE AT SINCLAIR. HE COACHED AGAINST THEM IN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN 1988 WHEN HE WAS COACHING — >> Tom: SIBANDE RUNNING THE AND BAD. THESE GAMES ARE CYCLICAL. THEY’RE LIKE ROLLER COASTERS. YOU CAN’T GET PARALYZED BY FATE. >> Tom: MATTHEWS ON THE ALLION FOR DASHAWN DAVIS! GAMES. ONLY IF YOU GIVE UP. >> Tom: AGAIN, PITT PLAYING WITHOUT FEDERIKO FEDERIKO. SEVEN TIES. THIS IS NUMBER SEVEN. MOORE. A LITTLE HESITATION. STOP ALONG THE FREE-THROW LINE. TOLU SMITH SPINNING AROUND THE BACK OF THE IRON AND A NICE TOUCH TO GET IT

DOWN FOR THE LACKS IN LENGTH, HE MAKES UP FOR IN WEIGHT. >> Tom: MISSISSIPPI STATE HAS A SPECIAL PLAYER IN TOLU SMITH. CHRIS JANS SAID IT MADE EVERYONE’S LIFE A LOT EASIER COMMUNICATION. PROBABLY MISSED THE BIG GUY INSIDE. >> Tom: MIMSSISSIPPI STATE WITH THE ONE-POINT LEAD. UTILITY TO MOORE, TO LSTEVE NICE JOB WITH THAT MID-RANGE SHOT. >> Tom: HINSON, HIGH-LOW. KNOCKED AWAY. CLEANS IT UP AND LAYS IT IN. >> Avery: YOU CAN’T GET DAVIS LOOKS IN. SMITH’S WORKING HARD TO TRY TO GET POSITION INSIDE. >> Avery: YOU CAN HEAR COACH JANS SAYING MOVE. >> Tom:

DAVIS, HESITATION OFF THE GLASS. HIGH OFF THE GLASS. >> Avery: AND HIS DRIVE, NOW PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE DEFENSE. IT’S BEEN EFFECTIVE. >> Tom: CUMMINGS TRIED TO ANSWER, REVERSES HIS FIELD SMARTLY SO SMITH COULDN’T BLOCK FROM THE RIM AND KEEP BATTLING, SOONER OR LATER THEY’RE GOING TO CRACK. >> Tom: THERE’S THE THREE FROM THE CORNER. AND SIBANDE IS ABLE TO GO LATE AND THEY’LL RESET THE OFFENSE. THEY DO SO WITH SMITH INSIDE. SMITH CAN’T GET IT TO GO. BATTLE FOR THE LOOSE BALANCE. RUN DOWN BY MATTHEWS. MOORE. HIS RUNNER’S GOOD! 14 POINTS FOR FOR D.J.

JEFFRIES. >> Tom: BURTON TO ELLIOT. >> Avery: THIS WAS A LITTLE PLAY FORD.J. J ELLIOT, A LITTLE SHOT FAKE. PULL UP JUMPER GOOD. AND ELLIOT NOW WITH A THOUSAND POINTS IN HIS COLLEGE CAREER. ROTHSTEIN WAS TALKING ABOUT. >> Tom: HINSON WAY DOWNTOWN. HE GOT >> Avery: RUN A PICK AND ROLL, TRY TO GET SOME SORT OF A SWITCH WITH DIAZ GRAHAM. >> Tom: MISSISSIPPI STATE SCORELESS THE LAST THREE AND A HALF MINUTES. ELLIOT FOR THREE. NO GOOD. BALL TIPPED OUT. HERE COMES MATTHEWS. CAN’T GET IT TO GO. KNOCKED OUT OF BOUNDS BY BURTON. BURTON. >>

Tom: IT HIT DIAZ GRAHAM. DAVIS UP TOP. ENTRY PASS TO SMITH. BACK TO DAVIS. >> Avery: THEY DON’T KNOW HOW TO REACT TO THIS DOUBLE TEAM. SN >> Tom: IT’S GOOD! THAT WILL PUT IT BACK TO WITHIN INTO THE PAINT. FADEAWAY JUMPER. IT IS NO GOOD. IN AND OUT, REBOUND BY MISSISSIPPI STATE. HERE COMES DAVIS. DAVIS LEAVES IT FOR SMITH WHO LEAVES IT IN! >> Tom: TWO-SECOND DIFFERENCE, SHOT CLOCK AND GAME CLOCK. BURTON, HIS JUMPER, IT’S GOOD. TIME-OUT CALLED BY JEFF CAPEL. THIS? >> Avery: THIS IS GOING TO BE AN ISO. THEY’LL FLIP THE BALL

BACK TO DAVIS. >> Tom: THEY GET IT TO SMITH. GOING TOWARD THE BASKET. KNOCKED AWAY BY DIAZ GRAHAM. PLENTY OF TIME, 2.7. >> Avery: SO THE FLIP BACK TO SPRINTING TO THIS LEFT CORNER. THEY’RE GOING TO TRY TO GET SMITH ON THE BACK PICK. >> Tom: IT IS NO GOOD! BALL PUT BACK, NO GOOD! AND PITTSBURGH ADVANCES IN THE

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