Dixon’s defensive decision pays off as Page finds his shot

MILWAUKEE – One simple theft was all Pitt needed to steal a win from Wisconsin and advance to… MILWAUKEE – One simple theft was all Pitt needed to steal a win from Wisconsin and advance to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year.

With just more than five minutes remaining in the game, the Badgers held a two-point lead and the ball. Devin Harris led Wisconsin down the floor, looked to his left, and sent a pass in the direction of Boo Wade.

But Wade never got the ball.

Julius Page stepped in front of Wade and took off down the court with the ball, slamming home a left-handed dunk that tied the game at 48 with 5:02 to play.

“They had run the same play several possessions before, and I knew they were going to pass it to my guy,” Page said. “The last time, my guy stood and waited for the pass to come to him. I knew it would be there and I recognized the setup. I knew he didn’t work too hard [to get the pass].”

The dunk accounted for two of Page’s 12 points — his highest point total since scoring 14 in Pitt’s Big East quarterfinal game against Virginia Tech.

Since that game, Page’s struggles from the field have been obvious. In Pitt’s opening round win over Central Florida on Friday, the senior guard made just two of his 12 shots from the field and, many times, the frustration was evident on his face.

While he was just five-of-15 from the field against Wisconsin, Page was more aggressive with the ball, driving down the lane rather than settling for jump shots, as he has for most of the season.

“I know when I get toward the basket, there are not a lot of guys that can block my shot,” he said, stating one reason why it was important to get down the lane. “I’m just trying to be aggressive and, hopefully, I’ll just get some calls and get to the [free throw] line rather than relying on my threes.”

Although Page was unable to get to the line, his ability to penetrate led to a couple of open looks, not only for himself, but for other Panthers as well. After being outscored in the paint against Central Florida, Pitt dominated inside, outscoring Wisconsin, 32-12.

At first, it looked like Page would continue to struggle after missing his first four shots, and he ended the half with just four points. But there were other reasons that he was having a hard time shooting.

“I was so tired from trying to guard [Harris] and score,” Page said about Wisconsin’s leading scorer, who had 21 points, but none in the final 12 minutes of the game. “Jaron [Brown] and I switched … he tired me out in the first half. He made a lot of tough shots.”

While Page was unsure how much the switch affected Wisconsin’s guard, Harris noticed the difference.

“[Brown]’s a little more physical, but he’s not as quick,” Harris said. “I had some open looks, but they just didn’t fall for me.”

On the other end, Page knew the feeling.

“Some of my shots went in and out,” Page said.

As a team, Pitt shot just 35.6 percent from the floor, but again, the Panthers held their opponent under 40 percent as well, limiting the Badgers to 17 field goals on 48 attempts. The Panthers also forced Wisconsin into making 13 turnovers, seven of which were steals, including two each by Page and Carl Krauser.

“They played great defense,” said Wisconsin forward Mile Wilkinson. “They play physical and get into you, that makes it tough.”

Pitt, seeded third in its bracket, now travels to East Rutherford, N.J., to take on Big 12 Champion and No. 2 seed Oklahoma State, who advanced by defeating Memphis, 70-53, on Sunday. The Panthers have advanced to the Sweet 16 in the two previous seasons, bowing out to Kent State in 2002 and Marquette last year. Pitt was the higher seed in both games.

“You never know what can happen,” Page added, “but I’m not ready to go home yet.”