Basketball: Pitt stuns No. 9 Georgetown, keep season alive

The No. 9 ranked Georgetown Hoyas should have seen it coming. After all, the Panthers were 11-0… The No. 9 ranked Georgetown Hoyas should have seen it coming. After all, the Panthers were 11-0 all-time against top-10 teams at the Petersen Events Center.

With a 72-60 victory on Saturday, Pitt improved that number to 12-0, picking up the biggest victory of its season and one that could spark a season turnaround.

“We see the rankings just like everyone else,” junior guard Travon Woodall said after the game. “We always try to get up for these games and go after teams like they would go after us.”

After losing eight consecutive games, the Panthers (13-9, 2-7 Big East) followed Wednesday’s victory over Providence with a dominating performance against the Hoyas (16-4, 6-3 Big East).

“We came into this game with the mentality that we had to improve, even from the Providence win,” head coach Jamie Dixon said in the post game press conference. “Looking at these last two games, that is who we are as a team.”

The Panthers held the lead from the opening possession as sophomore forward Lamar Patterson drained a three-point basket as the shot clock expired.

Patterson finished with 18 points and was joined by Ashton Gibbs and Nasir Robinson in double-digit scoring figures. Gibbs posted 13 while Robinson led all players with his 23.

Dixon said that Patterson has played well lately, especially as his understanding of his position grows.

“Lamar is starting to realize how many minutes he will be playing and what his role will be in those minutes,” Dixon said. “He is the perfect indication of a player stepping into a new role and doing what he needs to do — passing, getting the assists and rebounding when needed.”

Throughout its losing streak, Pitt struggled to find the basket, but the offense was potent against Georgetown. The Panthers finished shooting 52.1 percent on the night. The shots were certainly falling for Robinson, who was a perfect 9-9 from the field — his only missed shot coming on a free-throw attempt with 1:21 remaining in the game.

“Nasir let things come to him, and that is what he needs to do,” Dixon said of the forward’s performance. “He hurt [Georgetown] in zone and in man-to-man defense, and you cannot say enough about his toughness.”

Another key to the Panthers offense was the continued contribution of Woodall, who was playing in his third game back from an abdominal and groin injury. Woodall finished with only 4 points, but his ten assists were instrumental in his teammates’ success.

“Tray is a playmaker for us,” Gibbs said of the point guard. “He has experience in every situation, and he creates open looks for us. With Tray in the line-up, the best is yet to come from us.”

The Panthers defense was just as instrumental in the win, as it held the Hoyas to an overall shooting percentage of 42.1 percent and kept them below their average of 72 points per game.

For Patterson, the efforts against Georgetown validated the Panthers’ commitment to playing strong defense.

“We wanted to come out and be aggressive and hold our ground defensively,” Patterson said. “We have not done that much this year, and we wanted to show everyone that we could get it done on defense.”

Georgetown was led offensively by freshman forward Otto Porter, who scored 14 points off the bench. Senior guard Jason Clark, who entered the contest averaging 17 points per game, was held to 9 points while going 0-3 from 3-point range.

Part of the Panthers’ defensive success comes from an impressive rebounding performance against Georgetown’s taller inside players.

Despite being outsized underneath the basket, the Panthers managed to secure 35 boards, 29 of them defensive, while the Hoyas pulled down just 23 total rebounds. Talib Zanna had a game-high 10 boards while Robinson chipped in with eight.

Pitt was especially dominant in the first twenty minutes of play, when it built its largest lead of 17 points with about four minutes remaining in the half and entered the locker room with a 33-22 lead.

As the second half opened, Georgetown came out battling, and the Hoyas were able to cut the Panther lead to six at the 4:09 mark, making the score 49-55.

But the very next play helped the Panthers pull away for the final time, illustrating the unselfish style of play that helped lead to the victory.

When the Panthers regained possession after a foul shot, they ran the floor, and Patterson dealt one of his seven assists to Dante Taylor, who finished the play with a dunk.

“When we have everyone out on the floor, we are a good offensive team, passing well and getting penetration,” Dixon said. “We moved the ball better today than we have been, and I am proud of our team.”

The Panthers will have a quick turnaround before their next Big East contest on Monday as they travel to Morgantown, WV, to take on the Mountaineers in the basketball version of the Backyard Brawl.

“Every game and every home court is tough in this conference,” Dixon said. “We will prepare hard for this game, and I am certain we will continue to improve in the future because that is what we can control.”