Men’s basketball: Panthers cruise past Illinois-Chicago

In its opening two games this season, the Pitt men’s basketball team has shown its versatility… In its opening two games this season, the Pitt men’s basketball team has shown its versatility in game management.

Whereas Monday’s contest against Rhode Island tested No. 5 Pitt’s ability to overcome a deficit, the victory over University of Illinois-Chicago last night gave the Panthers an opportunity to preserve and increase a significant lead.

The Panthers, led offensively by guards Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wanamaker, never trailed the Flames en route to a 97-54 win.

Gibbs scored 15 of his 24 points off 3-pointers, finishing the game 5 for 10 from behind the arc.

Gibbs said his success from the perimeter was a result of Illinois-Chicago defensive gaps that were identified by the Panthers.

“I was just taking advantage of what the defense gave me,” Gibbs said. “After our players kicked it back outside, I just had to knock down the three.”

Wanamaker complemented his 17-point performance with nine assists and six rebounds.

Gibbs and Wanamaker were the top scorers for the Panthers (2-0) for the second game in a row, but Wanamaker acknowledged the importance of having a balanced scoring effort.

“When we have multiple players contributing, it keeps the defense honest,” he said, referring to the 33 points added by the Panther bench. “When Ashton and I are both attacking, it gives teams more to worry about.”

Gibbs added to that notion of team contribution by referencing the “big men” — senior center Gary McGhee, sophomore forward Dante Taylor and redshirt freshman forward Talib Zanna — and their play underneath the basket.

“The big men are working hard in practice and it is showing on the court,” he said. “They do good work under the basket and the best is yet to come.”

McGhee and Taylor each pulled down eight rebounds last night as the Panthers earned 45 total rebounds in comparison to the Flames’ 25.

Defensively, Pitt held Illinois-Chicago to just 38 percent from the field, while the Panthers finished the game with a 57.8 percent figure, which was largely impacted by their 70 percent second-half shooting.

While the Panthers finished with a 43-point margin of victory, they led by only 14 points at the half after a performance that left the Panthers dissatisfied.

“We weren’t happy with the first half,” Gibbs said. “We could have played tougher and stronger, and that is what Coach Dixon stressed during halftime.”

Coach Jamie Dixon was pleased with his team’s response and its ability to sustain the lead in the second half.

“I was impressed by the way we improved throughout the game,” he said. “It is difficult to keep a large lead and build upon it — but we did, and that was encouraging.”

In the second half, the Panthers were able to reduce their turnovers while simultaneously taking advantage of the scoring opportunities generated from the Flames’ turnovers.

“We generated points from Illinois-Chicago’s mistakes,” Dixon said. “I was very pleased with that aspect of our second-half improvement.”

With its second win of the year, Pitt’s home winning streak against nonconference opponents was increased to 49 games since 2005— a school record.

For Dixon, the fact that the Panthers are 2-0 this early in the season is a sign that they are gaining valuable experience.

“Not many teams have two wins at this point in the year,” Dixon said. “It is an advantage to this team.”

The Panthers will play their final home game of the 2K Sports Classic against North Florida on Saturday before traveling to New York for the conclusion of the tournament.