Pitt to battle with Bearcats

The last time Pitt defeated a top-10 team, it followed the performance with a complete dud on… The last time Pitt defeated a top-10 team, it followed the performance with a complete dud on the road.

The Panthers (No. 15 AP/No. 16 USA Today) seek to avoid a similar fate when they face off against Cincinnati at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. The 4 p.m. matchup will be televised locally on FSN Pittsburgh.

Pitt (15-2, 3-1) rose to the occasion on Monday at the Petersen Events Center, knocking off No. 5 Georgetown.

The victory was the second of the year for Pitt over a squad ranked in the top 10. Back on Dec. 20, the Panthers recorded a signature win against Duke, 65-64, in overtime.

The problem was, Pitt walked right into a trap nine days later at Dayton and got blown out of the building. Now tied atop the Big East, Pitt looks to stretch its winning streak to four in a row after falling in its Big East opener to Villanova.

Since the Villanova loss, Pitt’s offense has shot 47.9 percent from the field while averaging 77.3 points per game.

“We’ve been taking great shots recently,” coach Jamie Dixon told the Associated Press. “As a team, we know what good shots and bad shots are, and that’s why our offense can be so effective.”

The team has stepped up its play in response to the losses of Fields until the end of February and senior Mike Cook for the season. Leading the renaissance have been seniors Ronald Ramon and Keith Benjamin. Ramon shifted from his comfortable shooting-guard position to run the point after Fields’ injury. Ramon has responded admirably, averaging 10.4 points, 6.4 assists and 2.2 turnovers a game in that spot. Benjamin transformed from sixth man to a scoring machine since his insertion in the starting lineup. The 6-foot-2 guard has tallied 85 points in his five games as a starter.

Cincinnati enters the contest with an 8-9 record and is 3-2 in the Big East. The Bearcats were dismantled by Notre Dame on Tuesday, but could pose several problems for the Panthers.

The Bearcats have stepped up their level of play since their conference schedule began. They defeated a shorthanded, but talented, Louisville team on the road in their first Big East game, and toppled Syracuse and No. 17 Villanova as well.

Cincinnati has struggled to make the postseason since Bob Huggins left, but second-year coach Mick Cronin seems to be leading the club in the right direction. The 34-year-old coach is known for being a top-notch recruiter.

The Bearcats’ offensive attack is led by sophomore guard Deonta Vaughn, the only member of the squad to average in double figures in scoring. Through 17 games, Vaughn is averaging 16.9 points and 4.4 assists per game.

On Monday, Vaughn was named the Big East Conference Player of the Week, the only Cincinnati player to earn the award this season. Vaughn scored 25 points in the upset over Villanova.

Forward John Williamson leads the Bearcats with 6.6 rebounds per game. Adam Hrycaniuk, a 6-foot-10 center from Poland, will be the main opponent to Blair underneath the basket. Hrycaniuk is averaging 8.7 points and 5.6 rebounds a game.

But Vaughn will be the key player for the Panthers to contain to ensure a victory. Vaughn’s style is similar to that of Dayton’s Brian Roberts, who torched Pitt in a game it would not like to repeat.