Men’s Basketball: Gibbs’ three beats buzzer, Providence

Add another entry to the catalogue of dramatic finishes at the Petersen Events Center… Add another entry to the catalogue of dramatic finishes at the Petersen Events Center this season.

A 22-foot, 3-point buzzer-beater by Ashton Gibbs squashed Providence’s bid for an upset and gave No. 17 Pitt (23-7, 12-5) a 73-71 victory last night.

The Friars’ defense tormented Pitt for most of the night, forcing 15 turnovers, including eight in the first eight minutes of the game.

Providence forward Jamine Peterson exploited mismatches and carried his team through most of the second half. Peterson finished with 24 points and 18 rebounds.

Riding the gallant effort of Peterson, Providence (12-17, 4-13) put itself in a position to win when Brian McKenzie made a free throw to take a 71-70 lead with 3.5 seconds remaining.

However, Gibbs would not be denied, taking the subsequent inbound pass and running down the court before sending the Panther faithful into euphoria with his clutch game-winner.

“I just took advantage of what they gave me, just wanted to be aggressive with it, and knocked [the shot] down,” Gibbs said.

“Great shot by Ashton. Big-time shot, big-time play,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. “He’s obviously one of the best shooters in the country.”

Gibbs was hot in the second half, scoring 16 of his 25 points after intermission while shooting 6 out of 9 from behind the arc on the night.

Senior Jermaine Dixon also made a splash on the offensive end with a career-high 24 points. Brad Wanamaker also achieved a personal best with 13 assists.

This isn’t the first win that the Panthers have pulled out of the fire with last-minute heroics this season. Victories at home over Louisville (82-77) and West Virginia (98-95) sported dramatic finishes.

“Well, we do like to keep it interesting, keep it exciting,” Jamie Dixon said. “Our season ticket holders have gotten their money’s worth this year, I’ll tell you that.”