After another 1-point loss, Jeff Capel challenges Pitt to have 'confidence that we can win'

If Jeff Capel sounded frustrated by Pitt’s late lapses that allowed Notre Dame to rally from an eight-point, second-half deficit for a 68-67 win Tuesday night at Petersen Events Center, it was nothing compared to his exasperation over John Hugley’s postgame comments.

Capel was lamenting the lessons his Panthers could learn about what it takes to win close games when he heard what sophomore forward John Hugley said about losing by one point for the third time this season. Pitt (5-8, 0-2) also lost to Minnesota, 54-53, in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Nov. 30, and at Virginia, 57-56, in the ACC opener on Dec. 3.

“It’s real tough,” Hugley said, “but it shows that we can compete with anybody.”

Capel called Hugley’s comment “interesting,” believing that it showed seeds of doubt from a Panthers team that featured four sophomores in a seven-man rotation against the Fighting Irish. Capel doesn’t just think Pitt can compete with the likes of Virginia and Notre Dame; he challenged his Panthers to believe they can win such games after losing their first two ACC contests by a grand total of two points.

“I know we can,” Capel said. “When I hear that, that (Hugley) said that, it makes me think that they’re maybe not sure. That’s part of growing up. You have to have the confidence that we are good and we can win. I’ve told our guys, ‘I think we can every game we play.’ I think we can lose every game we play. That’s the line.

“We have to understand the things that are necessary, that are required for us to win these types of games. Then you have to do it every possession — and that’s difficult. It’s hard. Winning is hard, at any level. It’s really, really hard — especially in our league.”

Capel knows how quickly close losses can sabotage a season. Pitt lost three games by one point last season, starting with a 71-70 loss at Northwestern in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. After a 76-75 loss at Wake Forest, the Panthers dropped nine of their final 11 games, including a 74-73 loss to N.C. State and five others by single digits.

Capel cited what he believed was the turning point of the Notre Dame game: Pitt had a 51-43 lead with 8:57 remaining, only for backup point guard Oneybuchi Ezeakudo to turn it over on the next possession when the Panthers didn’t run the play he called from the sideline.

Instead of stretching their lead to double digits, the Panthers allowed Notre Dame to cut it to six after Paul Atkinson Jr. made two free throws. Prentiss Hubb then took advantage of defensive breakdowns to sink a 3-pointer to trim Pitt’s lead to 53-48.

“We had the momentum and an opportunity to go up 10 and we call a play that they hadn’t stopped — and they don’t run the play,” Capel said of his Panthers. “We throw it to a guy that there’s a reason why he’s open. It leads to a turnover, which leads to a 3. Instead of going to 10, it goes to five and the momentum had shifted.”

Hugley blamed Pitt for failing to be “locked in defensively like we should be,” as they left Irish shooters open around the perimeter for 3-pointers in the final eight minutes despite pleas from their coaches to concentrate on protecting the corners.

“They really chased us off the arc until the last five minutes,” Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. “Then we finally got some looks. … It took 35 minutes to loosen their defense up because they are just so athletic. To escape with a win, I’m proud of our group.”

Capel, on the other hand, couldn’t comprehend how Pitt could blow an eight-point lead in the second half at home — though he wanted to take nothing away from Notre Dame’s shooters after they made 40% of their field goals (10 of 25) and 60% of their 3-pointers (6 of 10) in the second half while sinking 12 of 13 free throws.

Capel is counting on the Panthers to grow from their one-point losses, especially the emphasis that every possession counts and every mistake becomes magnified. From Ezeakudo’s turnover to Odukale missing the front end of a one-and-one free throw with 3:40 left and another that would have completed a three-point play with 34.3 seconds remaining, Capel can pinpoint the errors that cost the Panthers the points that would have been the difference between winning and losing.

“It’s something that you have to continue to teach and then hopefully we get it,” Capel said. “That’s the big thing. We’ve been in enough of these that it starts to seep in now where we don’t have the breakdowns like we had.”