Dual victories propel Pitt to Sweet Sixteen

BOSTON – It’s sweet to be back.

The Pitt basketball team advanced to the Sweet Sixteen… BOSTON – It’s sweet to be back.

The Pitt basketball team advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the second consecutive year after upending the Indiana Hoosiers 74-52 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Sunday afternoon at The Fleet Center. Pitt, who handed in its second dominating performance of the tournament, has Indiana head coach Mike Davis and players calling Pitt the best team they’ve seen.

“We played Kentucky and Illinois and haven’t played a team like [Pitt] all year,” Davis said. “Ben Howland is a great basketball coach, one of the best coaches I’ve ever faced.”

With the victory, Howland became Pitt’s winningest coach in NCAA Tournament history with four wins, passing Paul Evans who led Pitt in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

“They are probably the best team in the tournament,” Indiana’s Jeff Newton said. “I wish them the best of luck.”

The Panthers, who improve to 28-4 overall and are the No. 2 seed in the Midwest region, will now face No. 3 Marquette on Thursday in Minneapolis. But for Pitt, a trip back to the Sweet Sixteen simply isn’t enough.

“It’s nothing special,” said Brandin Knight, who finished with 17 points and seven assists. “We don’t want to settle. We aren’t satisfied.”

“Bottom line is, they want it all,” Pitt head coach Ben Howland said.

Pitt was able to advance by using a stifling defense against the Hoosiers and a big offensive game from Jaron Brown, who led all players with 20 points. The team’s unselfish nature was evident as the Panthers notched 16 assists and had four players score in double digits.

“He’s the glue of this team,” Julius Page said of Brown. “Big players step up in big games and that’s what he did.”

Page was a factor in the victory himself as his defense of Indiana’s Tom Coverdale shut down the senior guard. Coverdale was held to just six points in the contest and called Page the best defender he’s faced his entire career.

The Hoosiers, ranked No. 7 in the Midwest, advanced to their matchup against Pitt by defeating Alabama 67-62 Friday night. Indiana was able to overcome an 11-point halftime deficit against the Crimson Tide, though it was not able to accomplish the same feat against the Panthers, who held a 10-point lead at the half.

The lead in the first half seesawed between Pitt and Indiana as neither team could open up a lead larger than four points. The Panthers got on the board first with a bucket from Page, but the Hoosiers quickly answered with four points of their own. A basket by Knight and two free throws from Page regained the lead for Pitt, 6-4.

After Indiana standout Coverdale knocked a basket in, Jaron Brown put the Panthers ahead once again as fans started a chant of “Let’s go Pitt.” Knight later found Page for their signature alley-oop that caused the crowd to erupt in cheers and bring Pitt fans to their feet as the Panthers led 12-8.

A Coverdale three-pointer later gave the Hoosiers the 16-15 advantage, but Knight made a sharp inside pass to Ontario Lett, who made the basket and forced a foul – sending him to the line for one shot, which he converted to give Pitt the three-point lead, 19-16.

The Panthers finally took control in the final five minutes of the half as Knight dished a pass to Brown who connected for a three-point shot. Knight then followed with back-to-back shots from behind the arc as Pitt opened up a 10-point lead, 31-21, which it took into halftime.

“Brandin is as smart a player as you’ll find in this tournament,” Howland said. “He should, and will, have his jersey retired at the University of Pittsburgh.”

Pitt didn’t necessarily carry that momentum over into the second half as it allowed Indiana to move within four. But the Panthers opened the lead back up, fueled by the offense of Brown and Lett. The Hoosiers remained within striking distance but could not close the gap again.

Indiana fans voiced their displeasure with the referees’ foul calls, prompting one fan to yell out after Lett was called for his second foul: “That’s two on him? That’s about 12 on him!”

Davis, however, remarked afterward that it was a well-officiated game.

The Panthers put the game away by going on a 25-8 run during the final seven minutes to go up by the final of 74-52.

“Bottom line is, we have really good players,” Howland said. “I couldn’t be happier.”

The matchup marked the seventh all-time meeting between the two teams but first since 1941-1942, a series that was split at three apiece. But 61 years later, the Panthers proved to be too much and Davis expressed displeasure over his team’s selfish play while continuing to applaud Pitt.

“They’re playing the way [Howland’s] coaching and my team won’t do that,” Davis said. “This team is being compared to NBA greats [by people in the state of Indiana] and it’s un-freakin-believable that they believe it.

“Pitt is the best team I’ve seen, not one guy cares who scores.”