PITTSBURGH - South Carolina played tough against two Top 10 teams, losing 4-point decisions to No. 2 Kansas and No. 10 Pittsburgh. Coach Dave Odom knows why the Gamecocks couldn't finish off either team.

Kansas was too slick and too sleek. Pittsburgh was simply too strong.

Pitt's physical Chevon Troutman roughed up the Gamecocks for 18 second-half points after barely being involved in the offense before that, and the unbeaten Panthers rallied to beat South Carolina 72-68 Wednesday night.

South Carolina's press rattled the Panthers (10-0) in the first half, partly because Pitt has more depth and experience in its frontcourt than in its backcourt. After that, it was simply too much Troutman, who finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds, and too much of the 6-foot-10 Chris Taft, who had 12 points and six rebounds.

Earlier this month, the Gamecocks (7-3) were 64-60 losers at Kansas in a game that, much like Wednesday's, they simply couldn't find a way to nullify their opponent's strength.

"Kansas is a little more finesse, Pitt lines up and says, 'Here we are, you try to beat us,'" Odom said. "It's two different styles, but both know who they are and don't try to be anybody else. I would say the better one between the two is the one playing on their home court."

The Panthers, starting 10-0 for the second consecutive season under coach Jamie Dixon, won their 48th in a row at home against non-Big East opponents dating to a 64-60 loss to Virginia Commonwealth on Dec. 23, 1999. Pitt is 45-2 in non-conference games at all sites over the last four seasons.

The 6-foot-7, 240-pound Troutman responded to a recent pep talk from one of his high school coaches to take over in the second half with a succession of putbacks and dunks.

"My coach from back home, Matt Johnson, called me and talked to me about some things," Troutman said, referring to his former coach at Williamsport (Pa.) Area High. "He felt I was slowing down - I didn't have great games statistically - and I needed to buckle down and do what I've always done and draw some contact."

Troutman was held to 12 points combined in Pitt's previous two games after averaging nearly 17 in five games before that. Odom wishes he had seen that Troutman, rather than the one who roughed up his frontcourt.

"Troutman is as good as advertised," Odom said. "He throws his big body on you and dares you to stop him, and we didn't have the size to stop him. After scoring 10 points in the paint in the first half, they had 28 in the second half. All the rest is window dressing - that was the game."

Troutman and freshman Ronald Ramon each scored five points in a 10-0 run midway through the second half that gave Pitt a 53-48 lead, but the Gamecocks later tied it at 59 with a 10-1 run.

Pitt retook the lead on Troutman's layup and never trailed again. Taft scored the next five Pitt points on a dunk, a putback following three missed shots and a free throw to make it 66-60, and Carl Krauser's six free throws in the final minute secured it.

Krauser's final two free throws with 8.7 seconds remaining followed two by Tre Kelley that briefly made it 70-68.

Krauser, coming off a career-high 31 points against Richmond, added 14 points and Taft had 12. Ramon was 3-of-6 on 3-pointers while scoring 11 points off the bench.

Carlos Powell and Josh Gonner each scored 15 points for South Carolina, which led by as many as five points in the first half. The Gamecocks' final lead was 45-43 on Gonner's 3-pointer before the 10-0 Pittsburgh run.