The Florida Gators proved why they were the top seed in the NCAA tournament.
They also proved why many Pitt fans cringed at the thought of a third round match up against the prohibitive favorite to win it all.
Paced by SEC player of the year Scottie Wilbekin’s 21 points, suffocating team defense and rebounding, along with Patric Young’s dominating play inside, the Gators cruised to a convincing victory over the Pitt Panthers, 61-45. It is the fourth straight year the Gators have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.
Pitt was able to get off to a solid start. Early baskets by Michael Young, Talib Zanna, and Jamel Artis gave the Panthers the early edge. However, the Gators controlled the offensive glass early, and often, collecting six offensive boards in the first half alone. Josh Newkirk hit a banked in 3-pointer that gave the Panthers a 13-10 lead and Pitt was able to keep the Gators offense at bay early, holding them well below 40% in FG percentage.
The teams went back and forth for much of the half, with three ties and six lead changes during that span. However, after a Jamel Artis basket made it 15-13 with about eleven minutes remaining in the half, the Panthers would never lead again.
The Panthers kept it close late in the first half, and Young’s jumper with 17 seconds remaining in the half made it 24-22 Gators. However, with fouls to give, the Panthers inexplicably allowed Wilbekin to break free and hit a running 3-pointer from the top of the key at the buzzer, making it 27-22. This basket was critical, and it seemed to take all the wind out of the Panthers sails.
The Gators used the momentum gained from Wilbekin’s shot and used a quick 7-0 run, and more dominance on the glass to take complete control of the game early in the second half. Up 34-24, the Gators were able to completely shut down the Panthers offensively, who were held scoreless for the first six minutes of the half.
Turnovers were another major factor in the second half. The Panthers committed a total of 10 and they were costly, as the Gators had a number of transition baskets off of them. The Gators also dominated the glass, grabbing 13 offensive rebounds, 34 total, giving them a ten more rebounds than the Panthers for the game.
There was simply no answer for Wilbekin. The senior guard scored 11 of 13 points during one of the Gators dominating stretches that essentially ended any hopes of a Panther comeback. This included two consecutive buckets to stretch the Gator lead to double digits after Zanna bucket had made the score 49-41 with just over five minutes left.
Both Zanna and Lamar Patterson ended their Pitt careers with quiet games. Zanna led the Panthers with 10 points and Patterson scored only one of his eight total points in the second half. Pitt ended the season with a 26-10 record.
The Gators (34-2) will face the winner of tomorrow’s UCLA-Stephen F. Austin contest.
