Granted, Pitt’s defense hadn’t been great all game. But when the Panthers needed just a few… Granted, Pitt’s defense hadn’t been great all game. But when the Panthers needed just a few stops in their loss to Louisville yesterday, their inability to get those stops meant more than simple basketball.

Down six points with seven minutes to play, Pitt could have changed the course of its waning regular season. Coming off two straight double-digit losses to Big East teams on the road, a win against the No. 18 Cardinals, the Big East leaders, would have meant the world. The Pitt offense was there. Sam Young, DeJuan Blair and Keith Benjamin all hit key shots down the stretch.

But