Men’s hoops bests Washington

For a few painful minutes Saturday, no one was sure whether the Pitt men’s basketball team… For a few painful minutes Saturday, no one was sure whether the Pitt men’s basketball team had remained undefeated. Pitt coach Jamie Dixon thought it took an hour and a half.

But when the referees emerged from the scorer’s table, the Panthers’ wishes were fulfilled and Washington’s dream of an upset was ripped out of its hearts.

The collective sigh of relief of Pitt fans could be heard 2,500 miles away.

The Panthers held back the pesky Huskies for a nerve-wracking 75-74 victory at the Bank of America Arena in Seattle on Saturday, but it came only after a last-second miracle caused Washington’s fans and players to erupt into hysteria at the buzzer.

Washington guard Justin Dentmon ran the length of the court in four seconds and hoisted a one-handed attempt in the lane that barely rolled in and looked like the winner. His teammates rushed to mob him and the fans rejoiced in celebration.

But video replays showed the ball was still in Dentmon’s hand when the clock hit zero, leaving the Huskies’ celebration for naught.

“I’ve never been in it and hope to never be in it again, to be honest,” Dixon told PittsburghPanthers.com. “It was about an hour and a half standing and waiting on the sideline there. I guess it was good TV, that’s what we’re here for.”

Pitt had an opportunity to possibly shut the door on the Huskies, but Levance Fields missed the first foul shot of his one-and-one opportunity with only five seconds to go. DeJuan Blair came up with a critical rebound, but Jon Brockman tied him up for a jump ball and the possession went to Washington.

Seconds earlier, Fields hit two free throws to push Pitt ahead, 75-71, but Ryan Appleby made his sixth 3-pointer after an offensive rebound to cut the lead to one.

Beside the final free throw, Fields was stellar the entire game. He led the Panthers with 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting.

Three other Pitt players scored in double figures, and each had their shining moments.

Mike Cook scored 14 points and added six assists, but his biggest shot was a 3-pointer that gave Pitt its biggest lead of 65-56 with 6:25 to play.

Sam Young had a troubled first half because of foul trouble, but put the squad on his back late in the second half. He scored eight points in a four-minute stretch to finish with 14 points.

Not to be outdone, the freshman sensation Blair was again effective at center. His 16 points, 14 rebounds and three steals were a product of his strength and hustle.

“He was playing against one of the best players in the country, Brockman, and he made big plays all the way through,” Dixon said. “The physical skills are evident.”

However, the Panthers’ defense couldn’t contain Washington’s two weapons, Brockman and Appleby.

Brockman, a preseason Wooden Player of the Year candidate, notched 17 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, seven on the offensive glass.

Appleby was playing in his first game of the season because of a broken thumb on his shooting hand. The injury didn’t seem to bother the sharpshooter much, who nailed six 3-pointers for 18 points.

“Appleby comes off just in time for us, I thought that was convenient,” Dixon said.

Washington looked like the better team during the first half. The Huskies scored nine points in a row to grab a 14-8 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish for the entire half.

The Panthers came out on all cylinders in the second half, with Ronald Ramon’s only basket of the game coming in the form of a 3-pointer to give Pitt a 47-44 advantage.