Blair’s 32 blows Pitt past DePaul

Pitt’s opponents are finding it increasingly difficult to contain DeJuan Blair. DePaul was the… Pitt’s opponents are finding it increasingly difficult to contain DeJuan Blair. DePaul was the latest victim to suffer Blair’s wrath.

The sophomore center scored a career-high 32 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the Panthers’ resounding 92-69 demolition of DePaul at the Allstate Arena Saturday afternoon.

Blair’s 32 points eclipsed his previous best — a 27-point effort against Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Nov. 22. In his last six contests, Blair averaged 19.3 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.

Saturday’s output was Blair’s 15th double-double of the season. Nine of Blair’s 14 rebounds came on the offensive end, and he added three steals to his arsenal.

The Panthers struggled early, and DePaul held an advantage for most of the first half. But an offensive outburst in the last 23 minutes surged No. 6 Pitt (21-2, 8-2 Big East) to victory.

Pitt shot 55.9 percent from the field, including 50 percent on 3-pointers. Sophomore guard Brad Wanamaker paced the long-range attack, converting on all three of his 3-point attempts. Three other Panthers made two shots from beyond the arc.

Wanamaker and senior point guard Levance Fields each had 13 points. Fields and Sam Young achieved double-doubles of their own to add to Blair’s tally. Young finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Fields recorded a career-high 16 assists.

During Pitt’s current three-game winning streak, Fields has amassed 36 assists to only three turnovers.

DePaul (8-16, 0-11 Big East) couldn’t keep up with Pitt’s sudden scoring surge that started in the waning minutes of the first half. The Blue Demons led by four with 2:38 left in the first half, but the Panthers put up 13 straight points for a 42-33 halftime advantage, and they didn’t look back.

Sophomores Dar Tucker and Mac Koshwal each notched 18 points for the Blue Demons. Junior Will Walker threw in 11 for DePaul, which was outscored 63-36 in the game’s final 22:38.

DePaul jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead and pestered the Panthers with a relentless offensive assault early. Tucker and Koshwal accounted for 20 of the Blue Demons’ first 29 points.

DePaul grabbed a six-point lead twice in the first half, the last coming on a layup by Tucker with 5:05 to go in the first half at 29-23.

Pitt scored six consecutive points to tie, and DePaul retorted with four more. But Pitt’s ensuing 13-0 run, sparked by two 3-pointers from Jermaine Dixon, gave the Panthers a 42-33 lead into the locker room.

Kene Obi made a layup early in the half to cut Pitt’s lead to eight at 44-36, but Blair and Wanamaker took over from there and the Blue Demons never got within single digits again.

Blair and Wanamaker combined for 13 straight Pitt points that pushed the Panthers’ advantage to 59-44 with 13:26 remaining.

Pitt outscored DePaul 33-25 the rest of the way.

The Panthers, who will likely move up to No. 4 in the national polls today, host heated rival West Virginia tonight at the Petersen Events Center at 7 p.m.