Pitt holds off Huskies
PITTSBURGH — A double-digit lead gone, another home win slipping away, Pittsburgh appeared on the verge of a season-changing collapse.
Instead, the quickly maturing Panthers showed just how far they've come.
Tray Woodall and James Robinson knocked down consecutive 3-pointers to halt a Connecticut rally and Pitt pulled away late for a 69-61 win over the Huskies on Saturday.
“In the games we lost, we let it go at the end,” forward Lamar Patterson said. “Today it showed that things have changed. We fought through and got the victory.”
One the Panthers (15-4, 3-3 Big East) needed to restore a little order at the Petersen Events Center. Pitt came in 0-2 in conference play at the Zoo, traditionally one of the toughest venues in the country since it opened over a decade ago.
The Huskies (12-5, 2-3) nearly dropped the Panthers to 0-3 at home after erasing a 14-point deficit. Twice UConn tied the game in the final 5 minutes. Twice Pitt responded.
“We were 0-2 at home in the Big East (and) we're not known for losing here,” said Patterson, who led the Panthers with 14 points. “It's something to build off of.”
Woodall added 13 points and six assists and Robinson chipped in with 12 points, including a pivotal 3-pointer from the corner with 3:43 left after UConn knotted the game at 58.
Pitt senior center Dante Taylor actually had a wide-open layup on the play but instead threw the ball out to Robinson, and the freshman calmly drained the shot to give the Panthers the lead for good.
“I trusted in James and passed it to him to hit the 3,” Taylor said. “We just trusted each other. We all know that we all can make plays and that we're all good players. That trust is big for us.”
