Fields of Dreams

BOSTON ‘- Through the first 39 minutes of Pitt’s matchup with Xavier on Thursday night, it… BOSTON ‘- Through the first 39 minutes of Pitt’s matchup with Xavier on Thursday night, it looked like Pitt coach Jamie Dixon was going to hear the chatter for one more year. It looked like Dixon, who’s turned Pitt into one of the most successful Big East programs during his six years as head coach, would have to hear about how his team can’t win the big game to make it past the Sweet 16. It looked like Pitt might have to wait another year to erase the stigma that’s been written across Dixon’s resume ‘- whether it was written fairly or not. That’s until Levance Fields, or ‘Mr. Big Shot’ as his teammates call him, came through with the eraser, shooting Pitt to a 60-55 win and its first Elite Eight appearance since 1974. That year, there were only 25 teams in the Tournament. ‘I was excited for coach,’ said Fields. ‘As good as he’s been for this University, the biggest knock has been no Final Four appearance and not getting past the Sweet 16. So this is just a step.’ It certainly wasn’t an easy one to make. The Panthers trailed Xavier by two in a game that was nearly a mirror-image of No. 1-seeded Pitt’s previous two Tournament games. Pitt was sloppy offensively, was matched physically on both ends of the court and, no matter how many times it had the chance, couldn’t build a lead against the Musketeers. That’s when Fields picked up a loose ball behind half court and dribbled up to the top of the key. Seconds and a few through-the-leg-dribbles later, he created just enough separation from his defender to put up a fall-away 3-pointer. There was no question about it: ‘Mr. Big Shot’ had done it again. But it didn’t end there. During Xavier’s ensuing possession, Fields tapped the ball loose, picked it up just beyond half court and layed it in for the three-point lead. When the Musketeers missed a prayer 3-pointer, his celebration began. Fields sprinted to the sideline, jumped in the air and jumped on top of his coach. ‘He was still mad,’ said Fields of Dixon, ‘telling me the game wasn’t over … I just wanted to embrace him because he deserves it.’ Dixon certainly didn’t mind the final result. ‘I never get tired of seeing Levance take big shots,’ said Dixon. ‘He’s made them year after year. Our guys believe in him, I believe in him. And that’s all that matters.’ But while Dixon and Pitt have Fields to thank for the last-second heroics, there was another hero that had just as much of an impact. Pitt senior forward Sam Young was Pitt’s only answer for Xavier in the first half, scoring 11 points. The Panthers trailed Xavier at the break 37-29, but it likely would’ve been worse if Young wasn’t on his game. It was similar to Pitt’s matchup against Oklahoma State last week, when Young scored 23 first-half points to keep the Panthers in the game. ‘We count on him to score, and we need to play off of him,’ said Dixon. ‘He made big plays and big shots early. But he was there in the second half, as well.’ Young finished the game with 19 points in 40 minutes, the second-straight game he didn’t touch the bench. Along with Young and Fields, center DeJuan Blair made his contributions. After scoring just two points and pulling in four rebounds in the first half, Blair came out with a new attitude. The sophomore finished the game with 10 points and 17 rebounds, making for his 20th double-double of the season. His rebounding in the second half allowed Pitt to slow the game down and capitalize on the last several minutes of play. Blair said that had it not been for his coaches and teammates in the locker room during halftime, his performance might have been different. ‘That’s just my teammates and my coaches just believing in me and not letting me get down on myself in the first half,’ said Blair. ‘I have motivators.’ By beating Xavier, Pitt’s senior class became the winningest in school history. The Panthers also tied the school record for most wins in a season with 31. Pitt will play Villanova on Saturday evening in the East regional final, trying to advance to the Final Four for the first time since 1941.