Big East tournament: Pitt upsets Louisville

NEW YORK — There’s no place like the Garden. Seventh-seeded Pitt (24-9) upset… NEW YORK — There’s no place like the Garden. Seventh-seeded Pitt (24-9) upset Louisville, 76-69, in overtime in the Big East tournament quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden, which many have dubbed the Panthers’ home away from home. The Panthers have advanced to seven of the past eight Big East tournament semifinals here, and they are 8-1 in their past nine contests at the Garden. It was a typical Big East game, with physically taxing play in the lane and highly energized competition. “They just … they just battled,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. “That’s really the best way to sum it up.” Pitt forward Sam Young led all scorers with 21 points. He also had 12 rebounds. Young had 21 in Pitt’s first-round win against Cincinnati on Wednesday. The 6-foot-6 forward followed that performance up with a double-double and several critical defensive plays down the stretch that secured Pitt’s stunning victory against a Louisville team considered a Final Four contender. “In the first five or 10 minutes, I realized my shot wasn’t falling as much as I would like it to,” said Young, who shot 2 of 9 from the field in the first half. “I figured if I’m out there on the court, I have to do something else. I have to still contribute defensively, just making sure I’m in the right spot.” Three of Young’s teammates scored in double figures as well. Freshman DeJuan Blair had 16 points and eight rebounds despite foul trouble. Guards Levance Fields and Ronald Ramon each had 13 points. The duo scored 10 of Pitt’s 14 overtime points. The Panthers outscored Louisville, 14-7, in the overtime period. “We got performances from everybody,” Dixon said. “I’m proud of them.” Louisville center David Padgett scored 21 points in Louisville’s 75-73 win at Pitt on Feb. 24. More than two weeks later, Pitt held Padgett to 11 points and eight rebounds with a sound team defensive effort that kept one the nation’s hottest teams at bay in the second half and overtime periods. The Panthers double- and triple-teamed Padgett each time the lanky center caught a pass, forcing him to pass immediately. “We knew they were going to probably come after us in the post,” Padgett said. “They were very aggressive with what they did.” Padgett’s teammates didn’t help him enough. Aside from an inspired performance off the bench by 6-8 forward Earl Clark, who had 19 points and nine rebounds, Louisville’s role players struggled. The Cardinals’ three starting wing players — Terrence Williams, Andre McGee and Jerry Smith — combined for 12 points. The trio shot 7 of 30 from the field, including 2 for 12 from 3-point range. Louisville’s lightning-quick guard Edgar Sosa, who scored 19 devastating points against Pitt on Feb. 24, had just three points in 26 minutes off the bench. “We guarded the ball screens better [this game],” Ramon said. “We knew what they did in the first game and we had to adjust to it. We had some time to practice and prepare for Louisville.” Since Louisville (24-8) joined the Big East from Conference USA three seasons ago, the Cardinals have played Pitt in each conference tournament. They’ve lost all three contests to the Panthers. Pitt plays Friday night in the Big East semifinals at 9 p.m. The Panthers will play the winner of Notre Dame and Marquette’s game late Thursday night.