Pitt finds spark from Gibbs

‘ ‘ ‘ Has Pitt found a momentum-swinging shooter? ‘ ‘ ‘ On Saturday against Notre Dame,… ‘ ‘ ‘ Has Pitt found a momentum-swinging shooter? ‘ ‘ ‘ On Saturday against Notre Dame, freshman Ashton Gibbs acted as a 3-point tourniquet against an outside shooting team during one of its hottest streaks all year and sparked the rest of his team’s outside game. ‘ ‘ ‘ Gibbs, a freshman who has mostly handled the ball as Levance Fields’ backup at point guard this season in addition to seeing some time at shooting guard, came in with around 11 minutes to go in the first half against the Irish, when Luke Zeller was in the middle of hitting 4-of-5 from 3-point range, leaving Pitt down by as many as 8. ‘ ‘ ‘ Gibbs hit two quick 3-pointers, then another, and stopped the bleeding. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I just wanted to take what the defense gave me,’ said Gibbs. ‘They gave me open shots, and I think that’s my job, to catch and shoot, and that’s what I do.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Apparently he doesn’t do it enough, according to Fields. Gibbs scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting on Saturday, his highest point total to date. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We yell at him a lot for passing up shots,’ said Fields. ‘We want him to shoot, and he passes up a lot of shots. He came in ready to shoot, and he got in the game because of that.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Pitt coach Jamie Dixon kept Gibbs in at shooting guard for a good chunk of the first half, and Gibbs finished the game having played 17 minutes, his third-highest total all year and the most he’s played since he logged 24 minutes against Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Nov. 22. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘He hit a 3, and he’s one of if not our best shooter, so we wanted to keep him in there, and he responded with the next two 3s,’ said Dixon. ‘He can shoot it, and he’s a good player, and he’s going to be a very good player.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ A very good player considering his role. Gibbs is part of the deep Pitt bench that Dixon says sets his team apart from others in the Big East. Gibbs, who hit 3-of-7 from range against Notre Dame, can be the lights-out shooter Pitt’s been searching for. ‘ ‘ ‘ Consider the other options. The first is starting shooting guard Jermaine Dixon, who averages around eight points per game this season and has been a great addition on both ends of the floor. ‘ ‘ ‘ Dixon can certainly shoot, but seems the strongest and most confident in transition or driving to the hoop. ‘ ‘ ‘ Then there’s Sam Young ‘mdash; Pitt’s leading scorer. His outside shot can either be effective (10 games with two or more 3-pointers this season) or ugly (2-10 from 3 against Louisville). Fields, too, can hit from the outside, but is a pass-first point guard and can’t afford to start shooting recklessly at the expense of running Pitt’s offense. ‘ ‘ ‘ Tyrell Biggs, Gilbert Brown and Brad Wanamaker all have shown the ability to hit 3s, but Pitt needs a player that’s a constant threat. Gibbs can be it. ‘ ‘ ‘ And once Gibbs hit his 3s against Notre Dame, it got contagious. Dixon made 3-of-3. Fields made 2-of-3. Pitt shot 9-of-20 as a team, and Gibbs got it going. ‘ ‘ ‘ With around 12:30 left to play in Saturday’s game, though, Gibbs dribbled twice and threw up a 21-footer that barely hit the bottom of the rim. ‘ ‘ ‘ And on the next possession, Dixon drained a long 3 with the shot clock winding. So Gibbs isn’t ready to start, and, as a freshman still developing his game, that’s best for both him and Pitt. ‘ ‘ ‘ But even if he can be the guy that comes in, hits a few 3s to stop an opponent’s momentum and gives Pitt some of its own like he did against Notre Dame, that, too, would best for everyone involved.