Men’s Basketball: Spread out scoring helps Pitt beat Marquette

Before last night there was only one Big East team Jamie Dixon hadn’t beaten on the road —… Before last night there was only one Big East team Jamie Dixon hadn’t beaten on the road — Marquette.

After a 58-51 win in which four Panthers scored 10 points each, Dixon notched the only conference road win that had eluded him. It was also Pitt’s first victory at the Bradley Center, improving its all-time record at the arena to 1-3.

The win makes Pitt 20-6, its ninth consecutive 20-win season, and 9-4 in the Big East. Marquette, which came into last night on a five-game winning streak, falls to 16-9 and 7-6 in the conference.

Thanks to the victory, Pitt remains in sole possession of fourth place in the Big East. The top four teams get a double bye in the Big East tournament.

The Panthers didn’t get much scoring, as 58 points ties them for their third lowest total all season, but the scoring they did get was evenly spread.

Starters Brad Wanamaker, Nasir Robinson, Gary McGhee and Jermaine Dixon all scored 10 points each. Marquette held the fifth starter, Ashton Gibbs, to a season-low two points on 0-for-6 shooting from the field, and 2-2 from the free throw line. Pitt also got six points off the bench from Dante Taylor and five each from Travon Woodall and Gilbert Brown.

The Panthers led 31-25 at the half, but Marquette retook the lead early after starting the second period on a 7-0 run. Pitt built back up its lead thanks to Taylor, who scored six straight with three consecutive dunks.

A jumper by Wanamaker gave Pitt a 10-point lead at 54-44 — the biggest lead of the game for either team — but the Golden Eagles battled to get within five, thanks to a three-point play by Lazar Hayward with 2:16 to go in the game.

Hayward, who averages 18.6 points per game to place him seventh in the Big East, had missed his last 10 shots and was scoreless in the second half up until that point. He led Marquette with eight points at the break and finished with 11.

The Panthers don’t have much time to celebrate the victory, though, as they host No. 3 Villanova at the Petersen Events Center Sunday at noon.