CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jamarius Burton not only helped Pittsburgh advance with his last-minute shot in the NCAA Tournament, but the Charlotte native also bought himself a homecoming.
The Panthers will now come to Greensboro for the first round.
Burton hit a contested shot from the lane with about nine seconds left to push Pitt past Mississippi State in the First Four on Tuesday in Dayton.
"First and foremost I just want to thank God," Burton said. "It was a tough game, these guys were continuing to fight."
Burton graduated from Independence High School in 2018, helping the Patriots win the 4A state championship.
He started his collegiate career at Wichita State, before transferring to Texas Tech and then Pittsburgh, where he is enrolled in the Master in Marketing degree program at the Katz School of Business.
Burton and the Panthers will now play against Iowa State on Friday in Greensboro.
All because of Burton's big shot.
"I just told myself I was built for it," Burton said. "I just got to a spot and let it go. I had complete confidence in myself."
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