After putting up back-to-back ACC victories to move to 3-2 in the conference, Jamie Dixon’s Pitt Panthers are about to find out how difficult conference play can be beginning Monday night. Beginning with a trip to Cameron Indoor Stadium to take on No. 4 Duke, the remainder of the Panthers schedule shapes up as a very tough gauntlet for a young team to run. Needless to say, if Pitt doesn’t win some big games during this upcoming stretch, there’s a good chance that they won’t be dancing come ... Read More
Pitt gets defensive in win vs. Georgia Tech
Jamel Artis scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half and the Pitt Panthers held Georgia Tech scoreless for a five-minute stretch late in the game as Pitt squeaked out a 70-65 victory Saturday afternoon, improving to 3-2 in the ACC. In a game where each possession was a grind, Pitt (13-5, 3-2 ACC) held the Yellow Jackets to just 40 percent shooting on the afternoon, while getting just enough offense of their own to get by. “We did a lot of good things,” said Jamie Dixon. “We have some ... Read More
Pitt must figure out rebounding issues before it is too late
Watching the Pitt Panthers play basketball this season, there is one glaring weakness on Jamie Dixon’s team- rebounding. Dixon has always preached rebounding and usually his teams deliver, but this season crashing the glass has become a major problem for the Panthers. Usually one of the top rebounding teams in the nation, Pitt finds themselves ranked just No. 196 in the country, pulling down just 34.6 boards per contest. Things hit an all-time low during Saturday’s home loss against ... Read More
Pitt outworked in loss to Clemson
Scoring droughts have become a staple of this year’s Pitt Panthers team and a pair of another very lengthy droughts cost the Panthers in a big way Saturday afternoon against the visiting Clemson Tigers. Pitt went a 12-minute span in the first half and a five-minute span in the second half, only making one field goal and the Panthers couldn’t recover from it as they dropped a 71-62 battle to Clemson, their first ACC home game of the season. “This one is very disappointing,” said Pitt head ... Read More
Pitt extends win streak to six with win over Florida Gulf Coast
Two years ago, the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles were the darlings of the NCAA Tournament. Tuesday night, Jamie Dixon’s Pitt Panthers made sure that they wouldn’t become the Eagles next upset victim. The Panthers used a balanced offensive attack and cruised to a sixth consecutive victory, defeating a very sloppy Florida Gulf Coast team 71-54 for Pitt’s 200th win all-time at the Petersen Events Center. The win was the second convincing one in a row for the Panthers, who begin ACC play on Saturday ... Read More
Pitt survives scare from Oakland
The Pitt Panthers simply do not like to play the Oakland Golden Grizzlies. For the second time in three years the Golden Grizzlies pushed Pitt to the limit, but the Panthers used some excellent free-throw shooting to survive a scare, defeating Oakland 81-77 in overtime for their fourth consecutive victory. The last time Pitt and Oakland met was on Nov. 17, 2012, a 72-62 Pitt win in overtime. The Panthers had to come back from down 18 in the second half in that one. They had to come from ... Read More
Cameron Wright’s return has Pitt heading in right direction
The Pitt Panthers basketball team returned home from an up-and-down month away from Pittsburgh and quickly have seen the fortunes change. Much of that has to do with the return of senior guard Cameron Wright, who finally looked like himself Wednesday night, scoring 14 points in 34 minutes of action in his third game back recovering from a foot injury. That was a big leap forward for Wright, who had scored only one point in his prior two games, playing a total of 22 minutes. Wednesday against ... Read More
Jamel Artis’ big night leads Pitt past Manhattan
For Jamie Dixon’s Pitt Panthers, there’s no place like home. Jamel Artis put together a complete performance, scoring a career-high 20 points, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out five assists, as Pitt defeated Manhattan 65-56 Wednesday night at the Petersen Events Center. The win was Pitt’s third in a row and the second game in the past four days that Pitt (7-3) has gotten to play on its home floor, after going nearly a month on the road, playing six games without a home ... Read More
Pitt must get defensive to extend City Game streak
The Pitt Panthers have not lost a City Game to Duquesne since 2000. That streak could be tested Friday night at the Consol Energy Center if the Panthers don’t start getting defensive. Good man-to-man defense has long been a staple under Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon, but Pitt’s performance at the defensive end through the first seven games of the season has left Dixon frustrated and many Panthers’ fans scratching their heads. Early on, the signs point to the fact this could be the worst ... Read More
Pitt’s Michael Young growing into solid post player
With the graduations of both Lamar Patterson and Talib Zanna, along with the injury to guard Cameron Wright and the suspension of forward Durand Johnson, Jamie Dixon’s Pitt Panthers are looking for someone to step up in a major way as a go-to-guy at the offensive end of the floor. That guy might just be sophomore forward Michael Young. Young led the Panthers with a career-high 20 points, making 10-of-12 field goals while pulling down five rebounds Sunday afternoon in a 63-26 victory over ... Read More