Men’s Basketball: Second-half surge propels Panthers to victory over St. John’s

A silent, sold out Petersen Events Center watched as senior Jermaine Dixon limped off the court… A silent, sold out Petersen Events Center watched as senior Jermaine Dixon limped off the court and into the locker room with the Pitt men’s basketball team trailing St. John’s in the second half.

The crowd didn’t stay quiet for long.

Pitt (16-4, 6-2 Big East) overcame poor shooting in the first period and used a second half rally to down St. John’s 63-53 last night.

The Panthers out-scored the Red Storm (12-8, 2-6 Big East) by 14 after Dixon injured his right ankle three minutes into the second period. The senior guard did not return to the game. Dixon missed the season’s eight games after breaking his right foot this summer.

Pitt struggled offensively for the third consecutive game, but a much-improved defensive effort in the second half helped seal the win.

The Panthers held the Red Storm to just 33 percent shooting from the field, while allowing just eight made field goals on 30 attempts in the second half.

Pitt coach Jamie Dixon believed defense was the key to the comeback.

“We forced 15 turnovers and frustrated some of their drivers,” Dixon said. “We made adjustments at halftime that helped us immensely.”

Pitt junior Brad Wanamaker, who led the Panthers in scoring with 16, agreed that improved defense was the turning point in the contest.

“We were more intense, more on the same page out there defensively,” Wanamaker said. “We talked more, and as a result they shot a bad percentage.”

Pitt trailed by four at the half, after shooting just 30 percent from the field and scoring 24 points in the opening half, its second lowest output in a half this season.

Pitt’s shooting woes, however, weren’t apparent at the free-throw line, as it converted 21 of its 24 attempts.

The home team picked up the scoring in the second half, shooting 52 percent from the floor and scoring 39 points to put the game away.

Pitt won the game despite being heavily out-rebounded throughout the contest. St. John’s held the 41-31 edge over the Panthers, including a 19-8 edge on the offensive glass. It was only second time this season Pitt has been out-rebounded.

Wanamaker helped fuel the second half rally, scoring 13 of his 16 points in the final half. The junior also finished with six assists.

Pitt junior forward Gary McGhee added 10 for the Panthers, a personal season-high in Big East play. Sophomore guard Ashton Gibbs also tallied 14.

With eight minutes to go in the game, Wanamaker threw down a furious dunk that sent the crowd into a frenzy and put the Panthers up by seven.

“I saw the open lane and got the dunk,” Wanamaker said. “I was trying to make a statement. Enough was enough. I wanted to let them know we wanted to win this game, and we did.”

The Panthers return to action Sunday at 1 p.m. when they travel to South Florida.