Pitt to bounce back at Cincinnati

If timing truly is everything, the Panthers picked a bad time to play Cincinnati.

The… If timing truly is everything, the Panthers picked a bad time to play Cincinnati.

The Bearcats (10-8, 1-3 Big East), who had lost five in a row and were slipping away in the Big East, are coming off an impressive overtime victory against previously ranked West Virginia on Saturday.

The team is still alive in the tournament hunt and desperately needs another high-profile win.

Enter Pitt.

The Panthers (17-3, 5-1 Big East) lost to their third ranked opponent (Marquette) of the season on Sunday and seemed to have finally felt the toll of a rugged six-game stretch that included conference powers Syracuse, Georgetown, Connecticut and the Golden Eagles.

Now Pitt faces the challenge of rebounding from its loss on the road against a rejuvenated Cincinnati squad.

“It’s disappointing to lose, of course,” head coach Jamie Dixon said following the Marquette game, “but you take a game like this and you learn from it and you get better.”

The Panthers had little trouble disposing of the Bearcats last season in the Petersen Events Center. Cincinnati, however, has been remarkably tough at home this season. Nine of the team’s 10 victories have come at Fifth Third Arena.

Cincinnati features a predominately upper-class roster, but the Bearcats’ scoring leader is freshman Deonta Vaughn. The first-year guard is averaging 13.6 points per contest despite shooting an abysmal 38.6 percent from the field.

Right behind Vaughn in scoring is junior college transfer John Williamson. In his first season as a Bearcat, Williamson is averaging 13.4 points and a team-leading 8.1 rebounds per game. He is also second in the conference with 3.61 offensive boards per contest.

Cincinnati’s hottest player may very well be on its bench. Reserve guard Marvin Gentry is averaging 13.5 points in the Bearcats’ four conference games after averaging fewer than seven points during the non-conference season. The junior led all scorers with his career-high 32 points in the pivotal overtime win against the Mountaineers.

The Bearcats’ lone senior starter is forward Cedric McGowan. Known primarily for his trademark dreadlocks, the transfer should be recognized for his game, too. McGowan is averaging 9.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest and leads Cincinnati with 14 blocks.

If the Panthers are to avoid the upset, they should consider getting the ball to center Aaron Gray early and often. At 7-foot, Gray is four inches taller than any Cincinnati starter. The Preseason Big East Player of the Year should have a field day with the diminutive Bearcat frontcourt. Gray is tied for the conference lead with 10.3 rebounds per game and leads Pitt in scoring with 15.1 points per contest.

The lofty center contributed 16 points and nine rebounds in the loss to Marquette despite an injured wrist. Gray has been playing hurt for several games and should be healthy and ready for Wednesday’s contest.

Fellow senior Antonio Graves could provide an outside threat for the Panthers. Graves is third on the team with 10.5 points per game and is third in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (46.0).

Pitt also boasts the leader in 3-point percentage in junior guard Ronald Ramon. Despite coming off the bench the entire season, Ramon is fourth on the team with 9.5 points per game. He has recently seen an increase in playing time and is second on the team in scoring since the start of conference play with 12.0 points per contest.

Despite his recent performance, Ramon was not content following the loss to Marquette.

“I could play for 15 minutes in a game, and if we win, I feel better than I do right now,” the Bronx native said. “It’s all about team success with us, and I think everyone in our locker room would agree with that.”

The game will begin at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast locally on FSN Pittsburgh.