Men’s basketball: Taylor leads the way in scrimmage against Slippery Rock

The Pitt men’s basketball team trailed Slippery Rock 29-27 with around three minutes to go in… The Pitt men’s basketball team trailed Slippery Rock 29-27 with around three minutes to go in the first half of yesterday’s exhibition game at the Petersen Events Center. Then, freshman center Dante Taylor took over.

A 3-pointer by Dwight Miller gave the Panthers a 30-29 lead with less than three minutes to play, and Taylor then scored the next eight points to give Pitt a 38-31 lead en route to a 75-64 victory.

Taylor scored in a variety of ways, hitting two free throws, picking up a loose ball under the basketball and laying it in and outrunning all Slippery Rock defenders in transition for a slam dunk assisted on a bounce pass from half court by Travon Woodall.

“I come in [with] high energy, trying to get the crowd going, trying to get my teammates going,” Taylor said.

Taylor wasn’t a starter, instead the Panthers trotted out Woodall, Ashton Gibbs, Brad Wanamaker, Nasir Robinson and Gary McGhee to begin the game. Taylor and senior transfer Chase Adams were the first players off the bench.

“Sitting on the bench, I was able to see how the game was going,” Taylor said.

Off the bench, Taylor led all players with 27 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field and 9-of-11 on free throws. He also led all players with nine rebounds.

“I tried to box him out, but he was just a beast on the boards,” Slippery Rock’s Jabril Bailey said.

Even though the late surge gave Pitt a 40-31 lead at the half, Slippery Rock hung around with the Panthers, out-rebounding them 24-17, including a 12-2 advantage on offensive rebounds. Another big reason Slippery Rock stayed with Pitt throughout the game was its quick shooting. The Rock took 75 shots, 46 from beyond the 3-point arc. The Panthers took 56 shots.

“Early we weren’t prepared for them to shoot the three,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. “It threw [the team] into something they haven’t seen before.”

The only other Panther in double figures was Robinson, who scored 11 points. McGhee was next with nine points and a game-high three blocks. Woodall led all players with seven assists.

Dixon expects to see a much different team in Pitt’s next exhibition game Sunday at the Pete against Coker College at 4 p.m.

“We’re going to be a much better team come next exhibition game,” he said.

Notes: Freshman Talib Zanna didn’t play because of a groin and knee injury, according to Dixon. “He could go, but he’s not 100 percent,” he said. Dixon wasn’t sure when guard Jermaine Dixon would be back. The senior, who is out with a broken foot, will go for an X-ray this week, Dixon said.