Panthers Cruise
February 12, 2003 09:30 PM | General
February 12, 2003
PITTSBURGH – No. 7-ranked Pitt held West Virginia to just 29.8 percent from the field on the way to an easy 82-46 victory Wednesday night at the Petersen Events Center.
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| Forward Drew Schifino led West Virginia with 12 points Wednesday night at Pitt. (All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks) |
Donatas Zavackas scored 15 points to lead five double-figure scorers for the Panthers. Chevy Troutman came off the bench to score 13, Carl Krauser had 12, Jaron Brown scored 11 and Julius Page added 10.
“First of all they’re a very good team and these things happen in college basketball,” said West Virginia coach John Beilein. “We’ve got to convince the team now that tonight was just like losing at Georgetown. It was just a loss and that’s all it is.”
Pitt made 28 of 55 field goal attempts for 50.9 percent. The Panthers, a notoriously poor free throw shooting team, also made 17 of 21 free throws for 81 percent.
“We really played well tonight,” said Pitt coach Ben Howland. “Our transition baskets tonight were unbelievable. Our guys were really having fun.”
West Virginia made just 17 of 57 field goals including 5 of 20 from three-point distance.
“At times it looked like a freshman or JV team scrimmaging the varsity,” said Beilein.
West Virginia had problems right from the start against Pitt’s aggressive defense. The Mountaineers had only three field goals by the second media timeout with 11:57 left and managed just eight for the entire half.
In fact, West Virginia actually had more fouls (11) than field goals. Consequently Pitt cashed in at the free throw line, making 11 of 15 by halftime.
After a three-pointer by Kevin Pittsnogle closed Pitt’s lead to 21-16, the Panthers went on a 9-2 run to make it 30-18 after a Troutman steal and dunk. Pitt finished the half with seven straight points to take a 17-point lead into the locker room.
It only got worse for West Virginia in the second half. After a basket by Tyrone Sally and a three-point play by Drew Schifino, Pitt went on a 17-0 run to put the game away. The Panthers got the lead to as many as 40 points before settling for a 36-point victory.
“We couldn’t get any shots to drop today and when that happens we’re not nearly a good team,” said Beilein.
West Virginia has really struggled in its last two visits to Pittsburgh, losing by 36 tonight and 27 last year in the final game at Fitzgerald Field House. Tonight’s victory completes a season sweep by the Panthers over the Mountaineers for the second straight season. The win was also Pitt’s fourth straight over West Virginia – the first time that has happened since the two teams began playing in 1905.
Schifino was the only West Virginia player to reach double figures with 12.
“Drew obviously had a rough night and those things are going to happen,” said Beilein. “We’ve just got to bounce back. As I told the team, this will just be a blip on the radar screen a couple of years from now.”
Beilein says there are lessons to be learned for his young team down the road.
“This is a physical league and we just get bumped off by them all the time,” said Beilein. “My only emphasis to them in the locker room was when you go back in that weight room when this season is over I want you to remember that 82-46 game because maybe we don’t beat them, but there is a huge mismatch physically of who has been in the weight room and who has not. As a result, we’ve got to have a commitment there to become a stronger team.”
The Panthers are now 17-3, 7-2.
West Virginia (12-9, 3-6) returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 15 at Rutgers for an important Big East West contest. The game will tip off at 4 p.m.
