Pitt Panther Prowl

Big Win for Pitt, Big Night for Players

Any way you look at tonight’s game, it was a monstrous victory for Pitt. If you look at the final score, you will find that Pitt dominated 82-63. If you look at shooting, Pitt had 4 guys score in double figures, shooting 58.6% from the floor and ending a major shooting and points slump. If you look at turnovers, rebounds, assists, and personal fouls, Pitt held the advantage in every area. If you look at free throw shooting, Pitt shot 75% to Providence’s 50%. There isn’t a significant category that you can look at where Pitt didn’t have the advantage. And the most significant of those categories was intensity. Pitt played with lots of it, and looked, for the first time in nearly a month, like they actually enjoyed playing basketball.

All of this is a good sign for a Pitt team that had really been struggling. Even in winning games, Pitt had poor shooting, and was taking games down to the wire. All the way around, Pitt was in need of getting fired up and turning things up a notch. Against Providence, that is exactly what they did. And boy was it fun to watch. Even more than being fun, it was nice to see a Pitt game where I didn’t have to clutch my chest thinking I was having a heart attack. But that is the kind of game you get when Sam Young shoots 10-14 from the floor for 22 points. That is the kind of game you get when Ronald Ramon shoots 5-8, making 5 3 pointers, and finishing with 15 points. That is the kind of game when DeJuan Blair makes his layups, going 6-8 from the floor (15 points) and adding 3-4 from the free throw line, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals.

Pitt needed a big win and tonight they got one. Even more than they needed the big win, Pitt needed some players to step up and make some plays. There was no shortage of Panthers contributing tonight. Aside from Young, Ramon, and Blair, 3 others contributed in a significant manner. Keith Benjamin had 10 points on 5-9 shooting. This helps because Pitt’s guard/perimeter play hasn’t been as productive as needed recently. Also, Brad Wanamaker had the second straight good game, going 3-4 from the field again. His 6 points are deceiving, because he also had 4 assists and 2 rebounds, and most importantly he added 0 turnovers in 19 minutes. Over the last 2 games, Wanamaker has shot 75% from the floor, and with each shot, he is gaining the confidence he needs to be a strong contributor now and in the future for this team.

The greatest contribution, in my opinion, came from Gary McGhee. I have probably been harder on McGhee than anyone. I have even said in the comments on another blog that I felt he had no upside and should never have been recruited. In recent games, McGhee has been changing my opinion. But what I saw tonight has forced me to publicly take back my assessment. For those who saw the game, you might wonder why I think 2-6 from the floor for 4 points is so impressive. Well, he also added 6 rebounds, 3 of which were offensive. But there isn’t a stat for his biggest contribution. In fact, some of you may not have even noticed. But about halfway through the second half, Gary Mcghee, the same Gary McGhee who used to look completely lost on the floor, got the ball down low and in double coverage, without hesitation, tried a wrap around reverse layup. Yes, I know he missed it. But a month ago, Gary McGhee would barely try a squared up layup. Two weeks ago, he might have taken it up tentatively and missed the dunk. But tonight, without hesitation, he went straight at the double team and tried a fancy move. That play, to me, epitomized the difference between the Pitt team that played Providence tonight versus the one that has played for the past month. This team played with such fire, intensity, and confidence, that even Gary McGhee stepped up his game and went out there swinging. He even made an alleyoop (spell check didn’t offer any suggestions on spelling of alleyoop).

Tonight’s game was a much needed boost for this team. Pitt had been struggling, swapping wins for losses in its last 7 games. Tonight’s win gives Pitt it’s first 2 game win streak since beating South Florida, Seton Hall and Georgetown for a three game win streak ending January 14. This gives them a nice building block and some great momentum going into a tough stretch beginning on the road at no. 25 Marquette. And with pretty much every player contributing something positive tonight, Pitt players and Panther Nation have all the reason in the world to be excited again. After all, this 19 point win came without Levance Fields, who has increasingly been talked about as the savior of this struggling once team. If tonight’s game was any indication, Fields may just come back as a boost to a solid team instead of the savior to a team that seems be treading water. That is truly good news.

Here are a few images to summarize the Panthers’ night against the Friars.