Pitt handles Niagara, 78-45
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh junior forward Durand Johnson walked onto the Petersen Events Center floor in a blue sweatsuit rather than a white jersey on Friday night after learning he was suspended for the entire 2014-15 season just hours before tip-off against Niagara.
While coach Jamie Dixon stressed his team’s emotional leader remains “a big part of our future,” Dixon’s concern is with the present.
“This is not as you drew it up in the offseason,” Dixon said. “We have to figure it out and make no excuses and change no goals.”
Considering how his team looked at times in an easy 78-45 victory, there’s really no need.
Jamel Artis scored a career-high 14 points to lead four players in double figures as the Panthers rolled to their 18th straight season-opening win. Josh Newkirk added 12 points and five assists for Pitt. Freshman forward Cameron Johnson added 11 and Chris Jones had 10 as Pitt built an early 28-point lead and cruised.
“We got off to a great start,” Dixon said. “The defense is coming along. I thought we did a good job defensively early and that was key.”
The Panthers shot 52 percent from the floor and had little trouble with the rebuilding Purple Eagles. Niagara, which has 13 underclassmen on its roster, missed its first eight shots and trailed by 14 points before scoring its first basket. Emile Blackman led the Purple Eagles with 16 points but Niagara was never in it.
Pitt remained unbeaten in openers under Dixon. Few were as easy as this one even with the Panthers playing without Durand Johnson.
Instead, he watched at the end of the bench as his teammates vied for his job. Dixon substituted liberally while giving several new faces extended playing time in Johnson’s absence, including Cameron Johnson.
A late signee, the 6-7 guard/forward, whose father Gilbert Johnson played for the Panthers from 1988-90, looked at ease while making four of five shots from the floor.
