Pitt readies for Big East play with win

College

Discussion

December 23, 2012

Pitt readies for Big East play with win

Anonymous Associated Press Sun Dec 23, 2012, 11:42 PM EST

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh had more dominating wins over the course of its nonconference schedule than Sunday’s 59-43 victory over Kennesaw State, but that matters little to coach Jamie Dixon.

“We’re starting over 0-0 now is what I told our guys going forward,” Dixon said. “I didn’t think we had our best performance (Sunday), but that’s behind us and we’re getting ready for conference play.”

Junior forward Talib Zanna led Pittsburgh in scoring for the second game in a row with 12 points and nine rebounds, and freshman point guard James Robinson added eight points and three assists.

Senior center Dante Taylor, whose availability was questionable after missing the Panthers’ previous game with a bruised heel, played 13 minutes. He had three points and three rebounds.

Dixon also earned his 250th win as a head coach.

Sophomore guard Delbert Love led Kennesaw State with 12 points and three assists, and freshman forward Nigel Pruitt had 10 points and five rebounds, but the Owls fell to 1-11 and have lost 10 games in a row.

Given the difference in the teams’ records, it was a closer game at times than the Panthers probably anticipated. The Owls made four of their first six shots from 3-point range and trailed just 16-13 with 11 minutes to go in the first half.

Pitt went on a 10-3 run to open up its first double-digit lead of the game with four minutes remaining and led 30-16 at halftime. Sixteen points tied for the ninth-fewest the Panthers have allowed in a half in school history.

Kennesaw State again turned to 3-pointers in the second half and hit three in a row before tipping in a rebound to make it 39-29 with 13:48 left to play. They pulled within 10 points again at 44-34 on yet another 3-point field goal with 10 minutes remaining.

The Panthers outscored Kennesaw State only 29-27 in the second half and shot 40 percent from the field (8 of 20) compared to the Owls’ 45.8 percent (11 of 24). Kennesaw State held Pittsburgh to 42.3 percent shooting for the game (22 of 52).

Through its first 12 games, Pittsburgh outscored opponents by a plus-25 margin and shot 52.5 percent from the field (353 of 672).

“To hold them to 42 percent may have been our better defensive effort,” Kennesaw State coach Lewis Preston said. “I don’t know if some of that was them having one or two feet out the door for Christmas break or us actually doing some things and changing up defensively. Hopefully it’s the latter of those two.”

The Panthers dominated on the glass and inside, as they have done all season. They outrebounded Kennesaw State 38-21 and outscored them in the paint 32-12.

The Panthers (12-1) begin their final season in the Big East Conference on Dec. 31 against No. 11 Cincinnati. They move to the Atlantic Coast Conference next season.

Text Only | Photo Reprints

College

Palmer to leave UPJ women’s position
Sasha Palmer will embark on a new chapter as a women’s basketball coach next month.

May 21, 2013 1 Photo
MIKE MASTOVICH | Roberts, Kent State up to old tricks
George Roberts and his Kent State University teammates reached a familiar destination on Saturday afternoon, but took a somewhat different route in winning their third consecutive Mid-American Conference (MAC) regular-season title.

May 18, 2013 1 Photo
Local sports in brief 5/19/2013
May 18, 2013
Local sports in brief 5/18/2013
May 17, 2013
Local sports in brief 5/17/2013
May 17, 2013
College players dominate Point nominations
Pitt-Johnstown junior Jake Warner was perfect and extremely productive at the plate while earning the first two monthly nominations for the 2013 Point Stadium Award in February and March.
Mount Aloysius sophomore Derrick Capiak nearly reached perfection to take the April nomination.

May 15, 2013
Penn State guard leaving for pro career
Penn State guard Jermaine Marshall, the team’s second-leading scorer, is foregoing his senior year of eligibility to pursue a professional career overseas.
The team announced the surprise move in a statement Wednesday. The 6-foot-4 Marshall, who is on schedule to graduate this summer, cited his family including a 1-year-old son, in making his decision.

May 15, 2013
Penn State coach blasts Sports Illustrated article
Penn State coach Bill O’Brien is fervently disputing suggestions raised in a report that player medical care has been compromised after the team doctor was replaced.
Speaking often in an angry tone that might be otherwise reserved for an argument with an official, O’Brien told reporters in a conference call that the health and safety of his players were his top priorities.

May 15, 2013 1 Photo
East Stroudsburg wins PSAC championship
Senior Brian Ernst threw eight innings without allowing an earned run on just two days rest and East Stroudsburg University used a five-run fifth inning to secure its first PSAC baseball championship since 1971 with a 7-1 win over defending champion West Chester on Saturday at Point Stadium.
The Warriors (33-16), who set a school record with their 33rd win, earned the PSAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament thanks in large part to an outstanding effort by Ernst, who was named the PSAC Tournament MVP.

May 11, 2013 1 Photo
Millersville players help couple resuscitate ailing child
The Millersville University baseball team came up with a great save this week, but it had nothing to do with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament being played at Point Stadium.
A trip for an after-midnight snack on Wednesday morning ended with seven Marauders being hailed as heroes by a local family after they helped save a little boy who wasn’t breathing.

May 10, 2013 1 Photo
More College Headlines

College

Search Results

Discussion

Pitt readies for Big East play with win

What do you think of the decision by the Boy Scouts of America to accept openly gay scouts?

Contact Us