Panthers go for 18th straight win

Less than five days after its exhilarating 74-71 win against Notre Dame the 13th-ranked Pitt… Less than five days after its exhilarating 74-71 win against Notre Dame the 13th-ranked Pitt men’s basketball team faces off against Rutgers on Saturday afternoon.

“[The Notre Dame game] was an unbelievable college game, with both teams battling and playing hard,” Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon said. “The crowd was unbelievable. They pulled us through and were absolutely tremendous.”

Against the Fighting Irish, all five starters for the Panthers scored in double figures to help Pitt extend its home winning streak to 36 games while furthering its season record to 17-0 and 3-0 in the Big East, both national bests.

“We just try not to let [the streaks] get to us,” senior guard Jaron Brown said. “[We] just keep on playing the way we’ve been playing.”

Brown and senior guard Julius Page led the Panthers with 19 and 18 points, respectively, and sophomore guard Carl Krauser added 15 points.

“[Brown’s] always a big threat for us, but it was Page who was pointing out the mismatch and setting Jaron up for those baskets, which tells you how unselfish this team is,” Dixon said. “[Brown] is just a winner, and he makes plays.”

Against Pitt, Notre Dame junior guard Chris Thomas scored 29 points, including a Petersen Events Center record seven three-pointers. Sophomore guard Chris Quinn added 16 points for the Fighting Irish, including four three-pointers.

“They hit some unbelievable shots,” Dixon said. “We tip our hats to them. They shot the ball unbelievably.”

While the Panthers have won their last two games by a total of seven points, less than five points have decided the Scarlet Knights’ (9-4 Overall, 1-2 Big East) last two games. Rutgers beat Monmouth on Tuesday evening by a score of 78-75 in overtime while defeating then-No. 25 Providence on Saturday, 65-64.

Against Monmouth, Herve Lamizana’s 18 points and Sean Axani’s 11 rebounds led the Scarlet Knights. Lamizana’s 18 points was nearly five points above his season average. Against Providence, Lamizana scored 21 points, including the game-winning shot as time expired, and collected eight boards for Rutgers.

“Well, I’ve been playing against Herve [Lamizana] since AAU, and I remember him from last year,” Page said. “We can’t let him go crazy and get out there and start hitting shots because it’s going to be a long night for us. So as long as we jump on him before he jumps on us, we’ll be able to contain him.”

Additionally, Ricky Shields averages 14.5 points per game for the Scarlet Knights, and Quincy Douby contributes nearly ten points per contest off the bench.

While Rutgers has lost to such teams as Wisconsin, Texas-El Paso, and Georgetown, its one-point loss to No. 1-ranked Connecticut proves it cannot be a team that Pitt can take lightly.

Also, considering the Panthers’ much anticipated dates at Connecticut and at Syracuse next week, Pitt must be careful not to overlook its game with the Scarlet Knights. However, Krauser is confident that the Panthers will not look past Rutgers on Saturday.

“We know what we have to do,” Krauser said. “We’ve been preparing for Rutgers. We know that they’re a good team and that they almost knocked off No. 1 UConn. We know what they’re capable of, so we want to go out there and give our best focus and practice and try to get a win.”

In 2002, Rutgers lost to the Panthers 78-59 at Fitzgerald Field House, while last year they were beat 86-65 at the Petersen Events Center. Regardless of the situation, freshman forward Chris Taft is looking forward to playing again in front a raucous Petersen Events Center crowd.

“It’s unbelievable with the crowd going crazy,” Taft said. “I love college, and the atmosphere is great.”

The game is scheduled to tip-off at noon on Jan. 17, and it will be televised on WTAE-TV.