Men’s hoops tops in city yet again

Four players scored in double digits, including Aaron Gray’s 24th career double-double, as… Four players scored in double digits, including Aaron Gray’s 24th career double-double, as the No. 2 Pitt Panthers beat their cross-town rival Duquesne, 73-56, Wednesday night at the Petersen Events Center.

Pitt (9-0, 0-0 Big East) opened up big leads early of 15-5 and 24-7 that allowed Pitt to coast to its ninth straight victory. This is the fifth consecutive season the Panthers have started off by winning their first nine games.

“Right at the start we did a great job,” Gray said. “We moved the ball well and were executing our sets on offense. On defense, we got down the floor quickly and forced them into tough shots.

“It’s a model for how we want to come out for every game.”

Mike Cook (11 points), Tyrell Biggs (10) and Sam Young (10) all reached double figures in the game, despite the Panthers posting their worst shooting percentage of the season at 45.2 percent.

Biggs finished the game perfect, shooting 4-4 from the field and 2-2 from the free-throw line. His all-around performance impressed head coach Jamie Dixon, who commented on the improvement he’s seen in Biggs.

“He really played well tonight,” Dixon said. “He played for 20 minutes, which was key for us tonight given that we had a few guys under the weather. Tyrell’s defense continues to get better and better, and he keeps battling on the boards and knocking down shots.

“We’re happy that we continue to see improvement with him.”

Pitt’s guards added to the offensive production, as the Panthers made an assist on 21 of their 28 field goals. Four different players had at least three assists – none of which were point guard Levance Fields, though, who had only two.

Despite the early leads, Duquesne was able to battle back late in the game. At one point, the Dukes cut the Panther lead down to 10 while using a pressure defense that included a full-court press.

First-year Duquesne head coach Ron Everhart mentioned his team’s toughness and thought highly of the fact that his players never gave up in their first matchup with Pitt since five Duquesne players were shot at a party on Duquesne’s campus earlier this year.

“I feel all year long our guys have fought hard, we just need our execution to get better,” he said. “We didn’t execute down the stretch, and a team like Pitt really makes you pay for it when you make mistakes.

“We did keep fighting, though, and I’m proud of that.”

Pitt’s Levon Kendall, who posted seven points and eight rebounds, dismissed the idea that Pitt’s inability to break the press was a concern.

“We relaxed a little bit too much and got caught on our heels,” Kendall said. “They also started playing with a bit of a chip on their shoulder and giving it their all, hustling and chasing down loose balls.

“They work hard, so I give them a lot of credit for making that run happen.”

With the win, Pitt improves its all-time record in the “City Game” to 44-31. Pitt has won the last six meetings with Duquesne, including 25 of the last 28. Both coaches, however, love the schools’ little rivalry, and would like to see it grow.

“I would love to keep it going. There’s a lot of history,” Everhart said. “It’s great competition for our program. Watching a team like Pitt makes us see what it takes to get to the next level.”

Dixon agreed, and he made note of the growing program that Duquesne features and the type of job he believes Everhart will do there.

“We have a lot of respect for their program. They’re a team that plays hard and battles throughout, regardless of the situation,” he said. “Right now, they have a very young team, though, and they’re going to get better.

“Part of building a program is playing young kids, taking your lumps and hoping that they improve.”

Robert Mitchell led the Dukes in scoring with 13, while guard Stephen Wood added 12.

“It was a great experience,” Wood said about playing the No. 2-ranked Panthers. “Playing tonight was a great opportunity and a great learning experience. We’ll just keep fighting.”

Pitt returns to action Saturday when it travels to Buffalo for a matchup with the Bulls. The game is scheduled to tip off at 4 p.m.