Men’s Basketball: Pitt crushes the Irish again, meets the Rooneys.

The Irish National Team couldn’t find any of that luck that is so often referred to in… The Irish National Team couldn’t find any of that luck that is so often referred to in their second game against Pitt today.

The Panthers pounded the guys in green 110-61 in Dublin earlier today. Five Panthers scored in the double digits, including incoming freshman J.J. Moore’s 14 points.

Sophomore J.J. Richardson had 13 points, senior Gilbert Brown and junior Ashton Gibbs both had 12 and junior Nasir Robinson had 10 points.

The Panthers pulled away in the second quarter – international rules call for four quarters rather than the NCAA’s two halves – with a five point play that put Pitt ahead by 17. Moore was fouled as he swished a jumper, but missed the free throw.

Freshman Talib Zanna snatched the offensive rebound and put it in the hoop as he was fouled. He made the free throw giving the panthers five points in one possession, making the score 39-22.

Pitt broke the 100 point barrier for the first time since an exhibition game against Seton Hill on November 2, 2008, when they defeated the Griffins 102-51.

This was the second game between the Panthers and the financially troubled Irish National Team during Pitt’s 12-day competition tour of Ireland. The Panthers won the first game 99-54.

On Sunday when the Panthers arrived in Dublin, they went to the residence of Dan Rooney, Steelers owner and United States Ambassador to Ireland, for a reception. Rooney is a Duquesne graduate, but his wife, Patricia, graduated from Pitt.

During the visit, the Ambassador to Nigeria made an appearance, which was a delightful surprise for Zanna, who is a Nigerian native, and walk-on freshman Aron Nwankwo, whose father is from Nigeria.

Pitt will play their final game in the Republic of Ireland against the Dart Killester Club Team, a professional team that plays in the Irish Superleague, tomorrow night before they head to Northern Ireland on Friday. They will stay in Dublin on Thursday and tour the city.

Once in Northern Ireland, the Panthers will play their final two games of the trip in Belfast’s Odyssey Arena.

Pitt will play the Melbourne Tigers, an Australian professional team featuring former Syracuse player Eric Devendorf, on Friday, and then the English National team on Saturday.