Panthers claw their way to win
PITTSBURGH — At the same point of the game in which Pitt uncharacteristically fell apart in a rare home-court defeat four days before, the Panthers showed why they've stayed nationally ranked despite being without two key starters.
Sam Young and Tyrell Biggs led a game-changing, second-half rally in which Pittsburgh turned a one-point deficit into an 18-point lead and the No. 18 Panthers bounced back to beat Villanova 69-57 on Wednesday night.
Young scored 15 points and finished off the pivotal 22-3 run that began with 13 minutes remaining by blocking Corey Stokes' outside jumper, grabbing the ball and scoring on a breakaway dunk while being fouled. Young completed the three-point play to make it 59-41, then celebrated by puffing out his chest and pointing at himself as if to say, "Hey, did you see that?"
Young, who is averaging 18 points but was held to 11 by Rutgers, felt it was a play worthy of some showing off.
"The block and the three-point play summed it up," Young said. "I felt I was real energetic after that. With that block, I felt like I was coming out of my slump."
Scottie Reynolds scored 26 points, but Villanova (13-6, 3-5 Big East) — ranked 19th when it beat Pitt 64-63 at home on Jan. 6 — lost its third in a row. The streak is the Wildcats' longest since they dropped five straight late in the 2003-04 season. They have lost four of six overall.
Pitt (17-4, 5-3) was coming off a 77-64 loss to Rutgers on Saturday in which it was outscored by 20 in the second half. They led by nine with 13 minutes to play in that one, only to fall apart in their ninth loss in 101 games at the Petersen Events Center.
"They were a hungry team tonight," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "Any time we made a run, they had an answer and those guys hit some big shots."
The Panthers have lost consecutive home games at the Petersen Center only twice, the last time coming three years ago.
"Definitely, we didn't want to fall in and do what we did the other day," Pitt's Keith Benjamin said.
Biggs came off the bench for 14 points and freshman DeJuan Blair had 10 points and 14 rebounds for the Panthers, who improved to 6-3 without the injured Levance Fields (broken foot) and Mike Cook (knee).
"We're right there as far as the conference goes," Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. "Through all that it's pretty remarkable and I'm proud of our guys. I think it's a place no one thought we would be at this point."
