Krauser scores 1,000th point in second half of win

With one 1:42 left in Tuesday night’s men’s basketball game against St. John’s, the entire… With one 1:42 left in Tuesday night’s men’s basketball game against St. John’s, the entire Oakland Zoo stood in complete silence along with the rest of the crowd.

Their hands were in the air, fingers shaking, as they anticipated Carl Krauser’s second free throw attempt following his successful first shot, which gave him his 11th point of the night.

Krauser swished the second of what seemed to be meaningless free throws with the game in Pitt’s hands and signaled his trademark “X” with his arms as he backed away from the line.

Though it didn’t mean much to the outcome of the game, the free throw cemented Krauser his own spot in Pitt basketball history. It made him the 33rd member of Pitt’s 1,000-point club.

“I had no clue where I was at on the scoring list, because I try not to pay attention to all of that and just win basketball games,” Krauser said after the game. “But it’s a good feeling to score that many in college, especially when the Big East is a tough conference to score in.”

Krauser entered the game with 988 career points, needing to post a dozen on the stat sheet to record his milestone.

He started the night off slowly in all aspects of his game, scoring just one point from the line and committing a couple of early turnovers that landed him a seat on the bench for a few minutes early in the first half.

“I thought today was going to be one of those type of games where it would be a slow, grind-it-out type of game,” head coach Jamie Dixon said. “Carl did a good job fighting through it and made some big plays.”

The free throw, which came within the first two minutes, was the only point Krauser would score in the first half of play, a half that would see the team struggle as a whole, scoring just 17 points total for a 17-15 lead at the half.

In the second half, however, Krauser started off strong, hitting his only 3-pointer of the game from the top of the key. But after the 3, Krauser’s struggles began to pick up yet again.

He committed a few more of his seven turnovers and was called for an illegal pick at the foul line. After the call, Krauser motioned toward the referee with his hands out, questioning the call.

Seconds later, the referee issued a technical foul on Krauser, giving the Red Storm possession of the ball and two free throws.

“He thought I said something other than what was actually said. He was just doing his job though. He gets paid to referee and I get paid to play basketball,” Krauser said. “He apologized to me after the game.”

After he settled down, Krauser returned to his usual self, driving through the lane and hitting a runner from the left side for his eighth point. His final four points, though, came from the free throw line — a position he is no stranger to and welcomes.

Krauser explained last week that Dixon had been placing more emphasis on performance at the line and having the team run during practice for every foul shot missed. He added that the drill was helping the team focus on getting its free-throw shooting down.

Coach Dixon’s plan is working, and Krauser is proof. Krauser entered the game having made 22 of his last 23 attempts from the charity stripe in the last three games.

Krauser added to that free throw excellence last night with a seven-of-eight performance, including the last four that pushed him into the exclusive scoring club.

As the team headed down the court after the final free throw, the scoreboard overhead displayed a headline to the fans notifying them of the feat Krauser just accomplished. The fans rewarded him with a standing ovation as the Oakland Zoo continued chants of “Carl Krauser” during the final minute.

“He has come a long way,” Dixon said, “And he continues to get better.”

Chants of his name didn’t stop when Krauser was taken out of the game with seconds left. The fans let him know that they appreciate what he has done thus far in his career, and they could possibly look for the 2,000-point mark in the future.

“I don’t know about that,” Krauser said with a smile. “I’d have to shoot better.”