Don’t blame the bench, Pitt just wasn’t itself last week

‘ ‘ ‘ NEW YORK ‘- Pitt didn’t make any excuses after losing its first game of the Big East… ‘ ‘ ‘ NEW YORK ‘- Pitt didn’t make any excuses after losing its first game of the Big East tournament Thursday night, and for good reason: There were none. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ After a tight whistle forced the Panthers to empty their bench early in the first half and shy away from playing their usual physical style of play, Pitt trailed West Virginia by only two at the break. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ DeJuan Blair was set to return at the beginning of the second half, meaning there was no way that No. 2 Pitt, a five-point favorite against West Virginia, could fall to a team it beat twice during the regular season. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ But under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden in New York City, with everything pointing in Pitt’s direction, West Virginia’s 1-3-1-zone defense and intense style of play was too much for the Panthers to handle. The Mountaineers earned a 74-60 win, and Pitt left the Big Apple after only getting a small, sour bite of the action. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I think we just let it slip away from us,’ said Blair. ‘I don’t know what was wrong with us. We couldn’t hit shots and they put that 1-3-1 on us, and it was tough to guard with all the foul trouble we had. I thought we were coming back, but obviously we didn’t. … We got what we deserved.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ There were a few things wrong with Pitt that night, the biggest being that the No. 2-ranked team simply didn’t play like itself. One of the best rebounding teams in the country during the regular season, Pitt was outrebounded 33-27 in the game. It also couldn’t connect on anything from the outside, finishing the game 0-of-8 from 3-point range. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ But it wasn’t just the 3-point shooting, the rebounding or the fouls. Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said it was a little bit of everything that brought his team down. Like when freshman forward Nasir Robinson made a reverse layup to tie the game with a few seconds remaining in the first half, the Panthers allowed West Virginia to rush down the court, snag an offensive rebound and put it back before time expired to regain the lead. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The dagger was that shot they made at the buzzer,’ said Blair. ‘I think that was motivation for them and a little dagger in the chest for us.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Maybe Pitt wasn’t ready to play. That’s at least what Dixon thought. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We weren’t coached well, and we weren’t prepared well,’ said Dixon. ‘We just got outplayed in every area. … The responsibility falls on ourselves.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Some media members blamed the loss on the foul trouble that Blair found himself in once again. The sophomore center sat for nearly 16 minutes in the first half before being called for his second technical foul of the season after a frustrating miss in the second half. A few possessions later, he fouled out. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ But no one can blame the loss on the bench. While Tyrell Biggs and Blair sat after quick fouls in the first half, five bench players saw time to help the Panthers stay in the game. Down by two, it was up to the starters to do what they did all year: come out in the second half in dominating fashion and bury the opposing team. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ But this time, something was different. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The shots weren’t falling, the team didn’t look comfortable at all and, even after a late charge brought the game within reach, Pitt couldn’t make it close. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ It also didn’t help that the Panthers changed their rotation around because of the foul trouble. Biggs, who picked up his third foul late in the first half, didn’t start in the second period. Whether it made a difference, Dixon wasn’t sure. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I wonder if that was the right thing to do at this time now as I look back at it,’ he said. ‘I think I got us out of our rotation, and we had the three fouls, obviously. We had to play, take some chances and some things. We had a number of guys in foul trouble early, and it really changed our rotation a bit.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Whether Biggs was in, Pitt struggled on offense and couldn’t pull together the key stops defensively. Forward Sam Young, Pitt’s first-team all-Big East selection, was 6-of-17 from the field. Levance Fields was 3 for 10 and guard Jermaine Dixon went 2 for 5. All of them played significant minutes in the second half, but they never found their rhythm. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The difference on the perimeter was integral on both sides. While the Mountaineers only knocked down four of their 14 3-pointers, they were a constant threat, freeing up chances inside the 3-point line. Despite not making a 3-pointer, West Virginia’s Alex Ruoff scored 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Freshman Devin Ebanks, meanwhile, scored 20 points on 5-of-9 shooting. He also went 10 for 11 from the free-throw line. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Pitt’s loss brings up some questions about its status in the NCAA Tournament, but in the past, the team has answered in a strong way. After Pitt’s three regular-season losses, Pitt came back with wins. Blair said that he hopes the loss can act as motivation and give his Panthers a chip on their shoulder heading into the Tournament. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ If that happens, Pitt will be a tough team to beat and could make a run to Detroit in early April. But if that same Pitt team that played last week comes back for another appearance, it’ll be an early exit.