Posted on 2010-03-06 07:36:00
Panthers Win Big on Senior Night
On Senior Day, the Pittsburgh Panthers (24-7, 13-5) secured the number two seed in the Big East tournament and came away with an easy 83-54 win in their regular season finale Saturday afternoon against Rutgers (15-16, 5-13).
The Panthers won by their largest margin of victory all season with this 29 point win. Their largest margin of victory, prior to today’s game, was a 25-point win over Ohio back in December. Pitt had their way with Rutgers on the boards, out-rebounding the Scarlet Knights 41-24. To make matters even worse, Rutgers just wasn’t even able to put the ball in the hoop, shooting just 27.3 % from the field in the first half. Jermaine Dixon played only 12 minutes before rolling his ankle, but according to the senior guard, the injury is not severe and shouldn’t cause him to miss any games.
Five players scored in double figures for the Panthers, including junior forward, Gilbert Brown, who paced the team with 19 points. Freshman center Dante Taylor had one of his best games in a Pitt uniform, scoring 11 points and pulling down 6 offensive rebounds. Pitt seems to be peaking at the right time, having won eight of their past nine games. “I feel as though we’re really coming together as a team, as a unit,” said Gilbert Brown. “The last couple games we’ve moved the ball well and it really shows how much this team has come together from the beginning of the year to this very last game.”With the regular season now complete, the Panthers will look to continue their stellar play in the Big East tournament. Pitt is the number two seed, and thus will receive a double-bye in the tournament. They will play Thursday night at 7 PM, possibly against Notre Dame, who is the only team to beat the Panthers in their last nine games.