Jaland Lowe scores 20 points, Blake Hinson adds 16 and Pitt holds off N.C. State 67-64

RALEIGH, N.C. -- — Jaland Lowe scored 20 points, Blake Hinson added 16 and Pittsburgh held off North Carolina State for a 67-64 victory on Wednesday night.

Ishmael Leggett's layup gave Pitt a 62-60 lead with 3:40 left and the Panthers led the rest of the way. A pair of Lowe free throws capped the scoring with five seconds to play. The Panthers forced Ben Middlebrooks to the free-throw line to end it.

DJ Burns Jr. scored six points, and DJ Horne and Casey Morsell each hit a 3 during an 18-6 run to give N.C. State a 58-56 advantage with 6:30 remaining. It was the Wolfpack's first lead since the 18-minute mark of the first period and their only lead of the second half. N.C. State tied it twice more and stayed within three points for the remainder.

Lowe was 7-of-12 shooting. Hinson made 5 of 13 from the field and three of Pitt's five from long range. Carlton Carrington added 12 points for Pitt (15-8, 6-6 ACC), which has won three straight and five of its last six games.

Horne made five 3s and scored 25 points to lead N.C. State (15-8, 7-5). Burns added 19 points and Middlebrooks finished with nine.

Hinson made three 3-pointers and scored 13 points and Lowe added 11 as Pitt shot 50% (14 of 28) from the floor and led 38-30 at the break. Horne scored 12 points and Burns added nine in the first half for the Wolfpack. The Panthers opened the second half on a 7-2 spurt to stretch their lead to 45-32. It was their largest lead of the game.

N.C. State is on the road against Wake Forest on Saturday. Pitt plays at Virginia on Tuesday.

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