Georgetown Vs. Pitt: Panthers Lead From Start To Finish In 72-60 Win

Pitt continues to show life after its 0-7 Big East start as it topped No. 10 Georgetown 72-60 on Saturday at the Petersen Events Center to earn its second-straight victory.

The Panthers (13-9, 2-7) shot a red-hot 52.1 percent from the field and dominated the glass by a 33-22 margin. Nasir Robinson had pretty much a perfect day, finishing with 23 points on 9-of-9 shooting from the field to go with eight rebounds and two assists. His only missed bucket of the day came from the free throw line, where he was 5-of-6.

Other Panthers had big days, too. Lamar Patterson had 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting while adding seven assists and four rebounds on the afternoon. Ashton Gibbs had 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting and Talib Zanna just missed out on a double-double, ending the game with eight points and 10 rebounds.

Pitt will look to make it three straight wins when it travels to West Virginia on Monday for a 7:00 PM tip against the Mountaineers in the basketball version of the Backyard Brawl.

Pitt was strong from start to finish in defeating Georgetown at the Pete on Saturday 72-60. The Panthers raced out 31-14 lead in the first half and while the Hoyas trimmed that lead several times, could never come fully back.

Typically for Pitt, it would have been just another day at the office as Pitt remained unbeaten in the history of the Pete against top ten ranked teams. But with the Panthers struggling so much this season, it’s safe to say the win was at least a bit unexpected.

Also unexpected was the source of offensive production for Pitt. Nasir Robinson and Lamar Patterson led the way with 41 points on an astounding 15-17 shooting from the field. Robinson was 9-9, only two shy of the school’s all-time record without a miss held by Brian Shorter who once went 11-11. Conversely, Ashton Gibbs and Tray Woodall had a somewhat quiet night, totaling 17.

While Woodall didn’t have a great night running the point (four points on 1-7 shooting and four turnovers), he did manage ten assists. There’s no question that even though his offense wasn’t there that Pitt plays significantly better with him in the lineup.

Pitt’s reserves didn’t do much, contributing only six points and seven rebounds. However, Georgetown’s bench kept them in the game throughout, led by Otto Porter. Porter’s 14 not only led the bench, but the entire Hoyas’ squad.

Despite the win, Pitt’s season is still a big question mark at this point. Beating a top ten team will significantly help their resume, but at 13-9 with several bad losses, the Panthers still have a lot of work to do if they even want to even sniff an NCAA berth.

For more on the game and Pitt basketball, check out SB Nation’s Pitt blog, Cardiac Hill.

Coming off its first Big East win against Providence on Wednesday, Pitt seized the momentum in the first half of its game against No. 10 Georgetown on Saturday at the Petersen Events Center, taking a 33-22 lead into halftime.

It was the big men who did most of the damage for the Panthers. Lamar Patterson led the way for the offense with nine points in the half on 3-4 shooting. Talib Zanna and Nasir Robinson weren't far behind, putting up eight points each. Zanna also had a big half on the glass, pulling down a game-high eight rebounds.

The Panthers were efficient on offense, shooting 48.1 percent from the field while holding the Hoyas to just 33.3 percent and nine field goals in the first half. Pitt was responsible with the ball, too, turning it over just five times, and dominated the boards by an 18-14 margin overall heading into the locker rooms.