Panthers fend off feisty Lions

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Pitt jumped out to a 12-point lead nine minutes into Saturday’s matchup… STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Pitt jumped out to a 12-point lead nine minutes into Saturday’s matchup against Penn State at the Bryce Jordan Center. Despite a 13-point, 84-71 Panther victory, Penn State gave Pitt its biggest test of the young season.

The Nittany Lions made things interesting late in the first half when they went on a 15-2 scoring run to take a one-point lead.

Panther guard Carl Krauser knew his team had to turn it around right away.

“It [was] time to take over the game,” he said after the game. “You have the passion in your heart to know that you have to do something.”

And the Panthers did something. What they did was score 12 consecutive points to take an 11-point lead with 2:35 left in the half. Pitt would hold the lead for the remainder of the game and claim its seventh victory of the season, marking the third consecutive year that Pitt has started off 7-0.

Krauser and Chevon Troutman combined for 10 points on the 12-0 run.

John DeGroat scored the first two points of the run to put the Panthers in front 31-30. Krauser and Troutman furthered the Panthers’ lead with layups of their own.

Both extended the lead to 41-30 with three-pointers with help from the other.

Krauser tossed the ball out to the left corner, where Troutman was standing alone. He settled and knocked down the three-point shot.

About a minute later, Troutman fed Krauser, who pulled up and hit the three with a defender in his face.

“I just wanted to pick it up and give my team a big emotional lift,” Krauser said. “And lead by physical example as well.”

And a lift he gave.

Krauser scored a career-high 28 points and dished out six assists in the game.

“They needed a basket; 11 got it for them,” Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis said, referring to Krauser. He further explained that he thought his team had a chance to upset Pitt, but just seemed to be a step behind. “I always thought we were one possession behind them.”

Penn State cut the lead to six points a little more than a minute before halftime, but a clutch three at the buzzer by freshman Ronald Ramon allowed Pitt to walk off the court with a comfortable nine-point lead.

However, Penn State’s Mike Walker came out of the half on fire, again threatening Pitt’s lead.

Walker connected on three consecutive three-pointers to start the half, with an Aaron Johnson layup sandwiched in between the first and second. And his three-pointers were not with his toes close to the line. He was shooting from at least 25 feet.

“I saw a three ball going up from yesterday,” Krauser said jokingly of Walker’s distance. “He’s a good shooter.”

The Panthers withstood the barrage of three-pointers by making their shots. Krauser converted on two three-point plays in a row to keep Pitt ahead of the Nittany Lions.

Four Panther starters — Krauser, Troutman (18 points), Chris Taft (11) and Antonio Graves (18) — accounted for 75 of the 84 points that Pitt scored in the game.

“This is how we lead,” Troutman said of himself and the starters. “This is how you come out. It’s how we lead by example.”

Leading by example, the starters helped their team to a season-high 58.2 field-goal percentage after a poor night against Memphis at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, where the Panthers shot a season-low 41.2 percent.

Head coach Jamie Dixon shrugged off the difference in games against Memphis and Penn State.

“Shooting can come and go,” he said. “Only a few shots change percentages.”

And a few made shots are the difference between a win and a loss, which Troutman, a native of Williamsport, Pa., wanted so badly in Happy Valley.

“It felt like a home game to me,” he said, adding, “I always like to come out to Penn State and beat them.”

The Panthers will have a week off before they begin a five-game home stand over the holiday break. Pitt will welcome Coppin State on Dec. 18 and Richmond on Dec. 23. Following Christmas, Pitt will host South Carolina on Dec. 29 and Bucknell on Jan. 2.

Pitt will end the home stand with the opening of the conference schedule on Jan 5. Georgetown will be first on Pitt’s long list of conference foes.

All five games will tip off at 7 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center, and the Richmond game will be televised on ESPN2.