Pitt coasts to first-round upset victory over Iowa State in March Madness

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Nelly Cummings scored 13 points and No. 11 seed Pittsburgh held sixth-seeded Iowa State to 23% shooting in a 59-41 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday.

Jamarius Burton added 11 points and Greg Elliott had 10 for coach Jeff Capel's Panthers, who stormed to a 22-2 lead after Iowa State missed its first 11 shots. Things didn’t get much better for the Cyclones, who had three stretches in which they missed at least eight consecutive shots.

Pitt (24-11), which edged Mississippi State in the First Four, moves on to Sunday’s second-round Midwest Region game against third-seeded Xavier, which had to rally from 13 points down to beat No. 14 seed Kennesaw State.

Gabe Kalscheur and Jaren Holmes each had 12 points for Iowa State (19-14), which reached the Sweet 16 last year in coach T.J. Otzelberger’s first season.

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Jorge Diaz Graham, left, and Greg Elliott of the Pittsburgh Panthers celebrate after a play against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at The Fieldhouse at Greensboro Coliseum March 17, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C.  (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

The Cyclones, who had lost nine of their previous 13 games, didn't make a basket until Holmes' short jumper with 9:53 left in the first half, which drew a sarcastic cheer from Iowa State fans.

Iowa State's poor start came while shooting at the same basket that officials worked to fix before the game, causing a brief delay.

"Iowa State asked us during pregame warmups to check if the rim was level," the NCAA said in a statement. "Building personnel checked it and made a