PITTSBURGH - March is only weeks away, and No. 18 Pittsburgh is looking much like it did before last year's NCAA tournament.

Coach Jamie Dixon said that needs to be fixed, and in a hurry.

"We are not playing our best basketball, and I hope we get more comfortable," Dixon said.

In a performance that closely resembled their three NCAA tournament games of last season, the Panthers played exceptional defense in a 55-44 victory over St. John's on Tuesday night but were turnover-prone and ineffective offensively.

With the Panthers coming off two poorly played games - they were surprised 83-78 in overtime by West Virginia on Saturday night - it appears there will be some February frustration before they make it to March.

Sound familiar? The Panthers were ranked as high as No. 2 last season, only to struggle badly on offense while never scoring even 60 points in any of their three NCAA games.

"The Big East tournament (is upcoming) and then the NCAA tournament," said Chris Taft, who had 12 points and eight rebounds. "This is the time to be coming together."

For at least a half, the Panthers looked to be falling apart. They opened an 11-3 lead and appeared to be on their way to a rout of a team that upset them 65-62 last month in New York, but they led only 17-15 at halftime.

Pitt's second half wasn't much better on a night the Panthers had 22 turnovers and their bench produced only two points in 37 minutes. But they contested nearly every Red Storm shot, limiting St. John's to 27.8 percent shooting (15-of-54).

The Panthers' defensive effort was reminiscent of the way they played last season, when they were second nationally in scoring defense. The offense? It obviously needs some work.

"St. John's looks to force turnovers and we helped them on that end," Dixon said. "But we did a better job of being aggressive in the second half."

Daryll Hill, the Big East's third leading scorer with a 19.8 average entering the game, made only 6 of 18 shots while scoring 18 points, eight fewer than he had against Pitt earlier.

"They put more pressure on me than they did the last game," Hill said.

Despite their improved defensive play, the Panthers' frustration was evident when point guard Carl Krauser drew a technical foul for arguing with Pitt up only 24-21 early in the second half.

Krauser came into the game averaging 15.9 points, but didn't get his first field goal until just over a minute into the second half. He finished with 12 points and surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his career.

Still, Krauser's technical might have awakened the Panthers as they took control shortly after that, with Chevon Troutman and Taft scoring repeatedly against a St. John's frontcourt that had only one starter - 6-9 Lamont Hamilton - taller than 6-6.

Taft and Troutman each scored twice during a 10-2 run that built the Panthers' lead to 42-32 with 6:30 remaining. Troutman finished with 19 points.

Hamilton, who had 2 points, was among six St. John's players who were suspended or expelled after violating curfew at a Pittsburgh-area strip club after a loss to the Panthers last Feb. 4. A woman told police she was raped by the players she met at the club, but no criminal charges were filed against them. The woman was later charged with prostitution, attempted extortion and filing fictitious reports.

Pitt students made derogatory references to the incident during several cheers. A flyer detailing a fictitious postgame party at the club where the incident took place also was passed out by students.