Pittsburgh Edges Stanford 64-63 in ACC Opener

In a thrilling conclusion to the opening round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, the 15th-seeded Pittsburgh Panthers edged out the 10th-seeded Stanford Cardinal 64-63 on Tuesday afternoon in Charlotte, North Carolina. Senior guard Damarco Minor sealed the victory with a putback layup off his own missed shot with just 0.7 seconds remaining, capping a chaotic final possession that kept fans on edge until the buzzer.

The game, marked by 11 lead changes and four ties, showcased Pitt's resilience against a Stanford team that entered on a four-game winning streak and was vying for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. The Panthers, who finished the regular season with a 13-19 record, controlled the tempo early, breaking a tie with the final eight points of the first half to take a 31-23 lead into the break. Stanford mounted several comebacks in the second half, reclaiming the lead five times, including a three-point play by freshman Ebuka Okorie with 26.2 seconds left that put the Cardinal ahead by two.

Pitt's response highlighted their dominance on the boards, where they outrebounded Stanford 41-28 overall and grabbed 20 offensive rebounds to just seven for the Cardinal. Those...