BOSTON - It's hard to tell which was the biggest problem for Boston College: bad shooting, bad rebounding or bad karma.

The fifth-ranked Eagles blew a chance to clinch the top seed for its final Big East tournament when they were trounced 72-50 by No. 24 Pittsburgh Monday night.

The result was all too familiar for Boston College, which has been a pariah in the league since deciding to leave for the Atlantic Coast Conference: Their football team also squandered a Big East title when it got blown out in its last conference home game.

"This game was extremely important to (Pittsburgh). But it was important to us, too," BC coach Al Skinner said. "We had something to gain here. The motivation for them was fine, but that's no reason we should have allowed something like this to occur."

Boston College (23-3, 12-3) could still win the conference outright or share it with a victory over Rutgers Saturday. No. 15 Connecticut, which is a half-game behind BC, plays Georgetown Wednesday and No. 13 Syracuse Saturday.

Pittsburgh (19-7, 9-6) had been ranked as high as 10th in the AP poll this year, but three straight losses - the last two at home - knocked the Panthers from 17th to No. 24. That changed Pitt from a team worried about its NCAA seeding to one in danger of missing the tournament completely.

The Panthers hold the fifth and last spot for a first-round bye in the Big East tournament. They will finish the regular season at Notre Dame Saturday.

"This is the real Pittsburgh team right here. That's really how we play," guard Carl Krauser said. "Everyone knows the Pittsburgh team is tough."

John DeGroat had eight points and six rebounds in 10 second-half minutes to help Pitt beat BC for the sixth straight time - including three in the conference tournament.

"They've got our number," BC forward Jared Dudley said. "Pittsburgh's done it to us the last couple of years. They like playing against us."

The loss had a similar feel to the BC football finale, when the Eagles lost to Syracuse 47-17 to fall from the lucrative Fiesta Bowl to the Continental Tire Bowl. Like that one, this wasn't even close.

Antonio Graves had 13 points and five rebounds; Chris Taft had 12 and eight; Chevon Troutman had 11 and seven, and Krauser had 10 and eight for Pitt. The Panthers outrebounded the Eagles 49-27 - 27-10 in the second half - and outshot them 48 percent to 31 percent.

"They came in here, and it was men against boys," said Craig Smith who scored 22 points and was the only BC player in double figures.

The Eagles won their first 20 games and attained their highest ranking ever - No. 3 - before losing two of their last three. Another sellout crowd came to say goodbye to the senior class, and Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie jammed with the band, playing the drums on "Johnny B. Goode."

But even with a chance to clinch the conference title, BC barely put up a fight.

Smith hit a jumper in the lane to make it 34-32 with 17:38 left. Pittsburgh scored the next 11 points, getting consecutive putbacks from DeGroat to make it 45-32.

With 5:47 left and BC trailing 59-45, Smith airballed one free throw and then meekly rolled his second off the back of the rim.