Let's get physical
Connecticut had just gutted out an 80-76 win over a physical Pittsburgh team Tuesday night. With the Big East conference in full swing, the top-ranked Huskies can expect a few more nights like this.
"This league is a bear," Calhoun said. "I have great respect for Pittsburgh. For us to go anyplace, we have to beat Pittsburgh. For Pittsburgh to go anyplace, they have to go by us."
There were bodies on the floor throughout the game — the defense was tenacious as both teams tried to go inside because no one was hitting from 3-point range. There was even a technical foul called on each head coach for animated objections to non-calls. Two of the best teams in this season's Big East played a game similar to those played by the league's power teams of the mid-1980s.
"Every time these teams have gotten together in the last five years, every game has been like this down to the end," Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. "Every game has been a battle."
Marcus Williams made five three throws during the final 30 seconds to help UConn secure its eighth straight win. The speedy point guard acknowledged that he, too, had run out of gas.
"I was tired with 3 minutes left. That's about as tough as it gets," Williams said. "I made those free throws because there were a couple of timeouts there that made it easier. I'm tired."
Rudy Gay had 22 points for the Huskies (19-1, 7-1), who improved to 6-0 against ranked teams and to 32-5 when playing as a top-ranked team.
Pittsburgh center Aaron Gray had 23 points and 12 rebounds for the ninth-ranked Panthers (17-2, 6-2), who dropped to 0-13 all-time against No. 1-ranked teams.
"This team, we're winners. We hate to lose. We don't know how to lose," Gray said. "We've got 11, 12, 13 guys that can do whatever this team needs. For us to go out there and some shots didn't fall for us and that's attributed to a great defense they had. Playing (UConn) 10 times, it could swing either way every time.
"There wasn't a second we thought we were going to lose. Even until that last buzzer went off, we believed we could win."
Keith Benjamin hit a floater in the lane with 1:45 left to bring the Panthers within 72-71.
Gay capitalized on a Pitt turnover for a three-point play with 51 seconds left to make it a four-point lead and after Antonio Graves missed a 3, Williams made one free throw with 30 seconds left to make it 76-71.
Freshman Levance Fields hit a 3, Pittsburgh's second of the game in 19 attempts, to make it 76-74 with 19 seconds left. Williams made two sets of two free throws around two by Gray to close the scoring.
"We couldn't let up at all," Gay said. "Every time we made a run, they made a run right back. They weren't going to roll over and let just anybody beat them like that."
Josh Boone had 16 points, six in a 2-minute span of the second half when the Huskies were able to take a 67-61 lead with 5:05 to go.
Carl Krauser, Pitt's senior point guard who fouled out with 2:58 to play, and Sam Young each had 10 points for the Panthers.
Connecticut, which came in shooting 37.3 percent on 3s, was 2-for-13 from beyond the arc.
The Panthers, who came in hitting 36.6 percent on 3s, was 2-for-20, missing their first 16 before Ronald Ramon made one on an inbounds play with 2:24 left that made it 71-69.
"We know our offense is good in the halfcourt, but we thought that we were going to need a couple of deep shots, a couple of 3s to stretch us over them," Fields said. "Tonight they didn't fall, but we were able to hang in there."
