Men’s Basketball: Patterson shines, Adams debuts at Greentree

Although it was only the College Basketball Invitational, Lamar Patterson’s performance in the… Although it was only the College Basketball Invitational, Lamar Patterson’s performance in the third-tier postseason tournament at the end of last season raised Pitt fans’ hopes for the redshirt junior.

And after Patterson’s 24 points and eight rebounds on June 18 in his team’s first game in the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Pro-Am Summer League at the Greentree Sports Complex, he appears to be on the way to living up to those expectations.

PGT Trucking 78, Steel City Tickets 63

Thanks to four 3-pointers, Patterson led his team, PGT Trucking, to a rather easy win over Steel City Tickets in a matchup that featured an array of current and future Panthers.

“I had a couple open shots early, and they were going in,” Patterson said of his ability to shoot from outside on Monday. “So I kept shooting them.”

Patterson’s team also featured incoming freshman and consensus top-five recruit Steven Adams, who registered six points, shooting 2-for-8 from the field.

Facing off against Pat Forsythe, a 6-foot-11 redshirt freshman center from West Virginia, Adams showed his strength in the post, preventing Forsythe from establishing position around the rim as the future Panther pulled down a game-high 18 rebounds.

Adams also put his passing game on display, dishing out a team-high three assists.

“He’s going to be a great addition to our team,” Patterson said of Adams. “His positioning is good. He can rebound, shoot and defend, too.”

Trey Zeigler, a 6-foot-5 junior guard who transferred to Pitt in the offseason after starring at Central Michigan, also added five points and six rebounds for PGT Trucking.

“Trey is another playmaker for us,” Patterson said of Zeigler. “He can shoot the ball and pass it, and he works hard — he’s a competitor.”

Pitt players Dante Taylor and Durand Johnson led the way for Steel City Tickets, scoring 14 points each.

Taylor, a senior power forward who struggled at times last season, showed strength near the hoop, bringing down seven rebounds. And Johnson, a redshirt freshman, struggled shooting the ball but provided three assists for his teammates.

PGT Trucking will play its next game on Monday, June 25, at 8 p.m. against SPK Law, while Steel City Tickets plays on June 20 at 7 p.m. against GNC.

GNC 84, South Hills Audi 82

While it lacked the star power of the first game of the night, the matchup between South Hills Audi and GNC didn’t fail to keep the hundreds of fans at the Greentree Sports Complex on their feet.

With one second left in overtime, Martins Abele of Duquesne put back his own miss to give GNC the victory over South Hills Audi, a team that featured alumni from Pitt and other local universities.

Prior to overtime, GNC held a small advantage when Pitt-Johnstown graduate Kyle Goldcamp deflected a pass to Pitt graduate Chevon Troutman, who dunked to give South Hills Audi a 76-75 lead.

But after GNC turned the ball over and intentionally fouled Pitt graduate John DeGroat, Troutman committed a lane violation that led to a tying free throw by GNC that sent the entertaining game to overtime.

DeGroat, a 2006 Pitt graduate, finished with a team-high 21 points, and Troutman, a 2005 Pitt graduate, scored 18 points and added 11 rebounds. Keith Benjamin, a 2008 Pitt graduate who wasn’t originally listed on South Hills Audi’s roster, finished with 20 points.

Oliverio’s Peppers 69, UPMC 64

For Pitt redshirt sophomore guard Cameron Wright, the matchup between UPMC and Oliverio’s Peppers presented an opportunity to show off the improvements made to his offensive game during the offseason.

Early in the game, Wright displayed his newfound aggressiveness around the rim, scoring six of UPMC’s first 10 points. But even the efforts of Wright and fellow Panther Malcolm Gilbert, a 6-foot-11 sophomore center, couldn’t overcome Oliverio’s Peppers, who finished the second half on 21-6 run to complete a comeback victory.

Wright finished with 12 points, showing an improved ability to beat defenders with his athleticism.

“I think I was aggressive — first night everybody just wants to come out and have fun,” Wright said. “We were up big, but they fought hard and they came back.”

Wright also said he’s improved on his overall offensive repertoire throughout the offseason.

“I’m a lot more confident,” Wright said. “My shooting, my mid-range game — that’s probably the best part of my game in transition. And just putting all of those things together and still working on my defense like Coach [Jamie] Dixon told me to.”

Although Gilbert struggled on the offensive end, he added a defensive presence to UPMC that included a pair of blocks resulting in buckets at the other end for Wright in the first half.

“These games help us stay focused, stay on track,” Gilbert said. “Coach [Dixon] told us to take these games seriously and this will help us improve for next season.”

UPMC plays again on Wednesday at 9 p.m. against SPK Law.