SB Nation Pittsburgh - 2012 CBI Tournament: Pitt Defeats Washington State In Game 3 For CBI Championship

CBI Tournament 2012 Final Score: Pitt Wins Title Over Washington State

2012-03-31T01:20:44Z

No, it’s not exactly an NCAA Tournament championship or even an NIT title for that matter, but Pitt has a postseason title under their belts with a 71-65 win over Washington State on Friday night. The Panthers struggled at times, but had command during most of the game.

Pitt took care of the most as well as they have all season. The team had only three turnovers and was a big reason they were able to get to put points on the scoreboard tonight.

Sophomore Lamar Patterson had a good series and was rewarded with the tournament Most Valuable Player award. Patterson had another do-it-all type of game with 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and a steal. He’ll be counted on to do quite a bit next season and his development this season was a positive for the Panthers.

Star guard Ashton Gibbs sat out again with an ankle injury. He appeared hobbled at times in the huddles, so he appeared to still be in pain. Washington State was also again missing forward Brock Motum.

As bad as this season was for Pitt, there’s hope for next year. The Panthers were an extremely young team and while that will still be the case to a degree next season, the players will be a year older. The Panthers lose seniors Ashton Gibbs and Nasir Robinson, but will be be gaining two pretty good freshmen, Steven Adams and James Robinson.

Pitt will no doubt continue to take criticism for participating in the CBI tournament. But as I’ve said all along, if they were going to play, it’s better to win while doing so. If you give the Panthers credit for nothing else, give them credit for playing well in the tournament.

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

CBI Tournament Finals 2012: Pitt Closes Out Washington State In Game 3 For CBI Championship

2012-03-31T01:11:08Z

The Pitt Panthers took care of home this week in the CBI Tournament Finals, sweeping game two and game three after dropping the opener against Washington State in Pullman. The Panthers turned it on the second half and clinched the title with a 71-65 win over the Cougars.

Playing without an injured Ashton Gibbs, Tray Woodall led was one of five Pitt players in double figures, and led the Panthers with 17 points. Woodall got into the lane and got to the line eight times against Wazzu. Lamar Patterson was a perfect six for six from the charity stripe, and added 14 points for Jamie Dixon's club. Big man Talib Zanna had one of his better offensive games of the season, scoring 12 points on just six shots from the floor.

After a roller coaster season that saw the Panthers go from a top 15 ranking to the cellar of the Big East Standings, a CBI Championships is a nice way to finish the season and a small consolation. The Panthers end the year at 22-17.

For more updates from this game, stay tuned to this StoryStream and SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more news and analysis on the Pittsburgh Panthers, make sure to stop by Cardiac Hill. For all the latest news from around college basketball, stop by the SB Nation NCAA Hub Page.

CBI Basketball Tournament: Pitt Leads Washington State 38-35 At The Half

2012-03-30T23:52:58Z

In the decisive Game 3 of the 2012 CBI, the Pitt Panthers hold a 38-35 lead at halftime at the Petersen Event Center.

The two teams have remarkably similar stat lines to this point, however the efforts of Tray Woodall and Lamar Patterson with 9 points each have given the Panthers the slim edge.

For Washington State, Mike Ladd has kept the Cougars within striking distance, as he also has nine points while shooting 3-of-3 from the field.

Pitt has benefited from taking advantage of Washington State mistakes, as seven of the team's points have come off turnovers. Look for them to continue to do the same in the second half.

For more updates from this game, stay tuned to this StoryStream and SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more news and analysis on the Pittsburgh Panthers, make sure to stop by Cardiac Hill. For all the latest news from around college basketball, stop by the SB Nation NCAA Hub Page.

CBI Basketball Tournament 2012 Schedule And Bracket: Championship Game To Be Played On Friday

2012-03-30T14:15:23Z

It has been a long, strange trip for the Pittsburgh Panthers this season, and it comes to an end on Friday. They'll face the Washington State Cougars in the third CBI Final game, this one is for all the marbles. The game starts at 7 pm, but unfortunately will not be available on television.

The CBI Championship series is all tied up at one after each team was able to earn close wins over the past week. The Cougars beat the Panthers by just one point on Monday, while Pittsburgh managed to win by four points when these schools last met on Wednesday. The Panthers were actually able to get a win on Wednesday despite being without their leader in Ashton Gibbs. We're still waiting on word one way or the other on if he will play on Friday. Having Gibbs back into the lineup would be a huge boost for the Panthers, even if his play is inconsistent.

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

2012 CBI Tournament Finals: Pitt And Washington State ... One. More. Time.

2012-03-30T01:40:35Z

This is it – the game we’ve all been waiting for. Okay, not quite.

Pitt and Washington State will do battle one more time in the best-of-three series to claim the CBI championship. Both games have been close and there’s no reason to think the third game will be any different.

Each team can get a huge advantage with the return of their star players. Ashton Gibbs hasn’t been terribly consistent this season, but he’s still the team’s leading scorer. Gibbs missed the last game with an ankle injury and is status is in doubt. I’ve got to think that with this being his last chance to play in the Pete, he’ll be out there if at all possible.

Meanwhile, Washington State has been without star forward Brock Motum for both games. Motum is the Pac-12’s leading scorer and the team’s leading rebounder. The Cougars have hung right there with the Panthers in his absence, but there’s no doubt that they’d be much better if he could suit up.

Let’s be real – this hasn’t been a dream season for Pitt. Not only did they miss the NCAAs for the first time in a decade, but they couldn’t even get into the NIT. The CBI is a third-tier tournament, but while they could have folded and turned in an inferior effort, the Panthers have instead played some decent basketball. Winning a CBI trophy doesn’t mean that the season will be salvaged, but it would be a small consolation for a team that had such a down season.

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

Video, Washington State Vs. Pitt: Awful Officiating In CBI Championship

2012-03-29T14:36:06Z

You may have heard that the officiating was bad in Wednesday night's Washington State vs. Pitt matchup in the finals of the CBI. But you might not realize how bad. Luckily, there's video. Check it out after the jump.

I got this from Pitt Blather, which also has a synopsis of the play. The call on Pitt's John Johnson wasn't just a foul, but an intentional foul. With nine seconds left and the Panthers up by six.

For more on Pitt basketball, check out Cardiac Hill.

CBI Tournament Final Score: Pitt Holds On For 57-53 Victory Over Washington State

2012-03-29T01:14:54Z

After holding a comfortable nine-point lead in the first half against Washington State, Pitt had to hold on until the very end to secure a victory.

The Panthers’ offense disappeared for much of the second half. So much so, that the team went more than seven minutes without a field goal over one stretch. That enabled the Cougars to come back and tie the game late. Pitt eventually opened up a six-point lead with about ten seconds left, but the fun wasn’t over just yet. Guarding a player, Pitt guard John Johnson was whistled for an intentional foul.

After two Washington State free throws and a quick basket, the Cougars found themselves down only two. But Lamar Patterson was fouled and hit both of the ensuing free throws, sealing the victory.

The frustrating thing for Pitt fans was that the game seemed to dominated by the Panthers, but they still found themselves in a nailbiter at the end. The team was without star guard Ashton Gibbs, but Washington State has also been without their star, Brock Motum, for both games. Their health is sure to be a topic of conversation over the next two days before the third and final game at the Pete.

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

CBI Tournament Finals Score Update: Pitt Leads Washington State At Half, 29-20

2012-03-29T00:03:57Z

In Game Two of the CBI Finals, Pitt leads Washington State 29-20 at the break.

The Panthers have thus far been able to survive without star guard Ashton Gibbs. Gibbs has an injured ankle and it was announced before the game that he would sit out tonight’s contest. Also missing in action is Washington State star, Brock Motum. Motum missed the first game of the series after suffering an injury against Oregon State in the semifinals and he’s not yet ready to come back.

Gibbs’ absence has meant that Cameron Wright and little-used Isaiah Epps are getting playing time. The duo hasn’t contributed all that much (a combined two points and two assists), but as long as others pick up the scoring, that’s not a huge problem.

Pitt’s being led right now by Nasir Robinson and Tray Woodall, both with six points. The Panthers are shooting 50 percent from the field and playing well on defense. The Cougars are shooting under 40 percent, and Pitt has been much more aggressive in guarding players out on the perimeter than in the first game.

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