SB Nation Pittsburgh - Oakland vs. Pitt: Panthers get tune-up before showdown against Michiganhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48827/pitt-fv.png2012-11-17T22:06:06-05:00http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/rss/stream/34241112012-11-17T22:06:06-05:002012-11-17T22:06:06-05:00Pitt wins wild game over Oakland in OT, 72-62
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<p>For more than 3/4 of Pitt's game against Oakland, the Panthers floundered. They went into halftime with a surprising 14-point deficit and trailed by double digits for much of the game. Cutting the lead to nine with about eight minutes left, though, sparked a furious rally. Pitt continued chipping away at the lead and true freshman James Robinson played hero, making two clutch free throws to send the game into overtime. From there, the Panthers went on a 14-4 run, leading to their 72-62 win.</p>
<p>Several things went wrong for Pitt on Saturday, but the biggest was their poor shooting. The team made less than 40% of their shots until their late rally and only finished at a season-low 41%. Leading the way in futility were senior guard <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52465/tray-woodall">Tray Woodall</a> and junior forward <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/100023/lamar-patterson">Lamar Patterson</a>, who were a combined 3-22.</p>
<p>Speaking of Patterson, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124156/j-j-moore">J.J. Moore</a>-Patterson topic has to be brought up again and if he continues to struggle, head coach Jamie Dixon should take a serious look at cutting his minutes. He struggled again while J.J. Moore was one of Pitt's best players on the night, coming off the bench for a team-high 16 points and 10 rebounds. Dixon may prefer to keep Moore on the bench to provide offense, but Patterson played 34 minutes and was largely unproductive other than his seven rebounds.</p>
<p>But while Moore may have been the statistical leader of the night, it was Robinson who was perhaps the hero. The freshman hit two free throws at the end of regulation and finished with 14 points, three assists, two rebounds, and two steals. Robinson is looking more and more like the real deal and without him, the Panthers probably don't win the game to remain undefeated.</p>
<p>Many Pitt fans likely weren't thrilled that the game was nearly lost, but a win is a win is a win. Not only that, but the game also forced the Panthers to fight back and deal with some adversity. And in the long run, that should benefit the team.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2012/11/17/3660076/pitt-vs-oakland-panthers-basketball-pittsburgh-vs-michigan-wolverines-final-score-james-robinsonAnson Whaley2012-11-16T08:01:48-05:002012-11-16T08:01:48-05:00Pitt vs. Oakland: Panthers battle Golden Grizzlies
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<p>Pitt's fans are looking ahead to a big matchup against No. 5 Michigan next week in the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament but hopefully the players aren't doing the same. Before the Panthers can start thinking about their game against the Wolverines, the team will need to face the Oakland Golden Grizzlies on Saturday.</p>
<p>At first glance, this isn't a game that should be too competitive. Oakland enters with a 1-2 record, having dropped contests to Boise State and Louisiana-Lafayette. But Pitt shouldn't sleep on the team since they're capable of doing some good things offensively.</p>
<p>Oakland enters the game scoring 85 points per game - good for 41st in the nation as of this week. They also have an incredibly explosive backcourt with juniors <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/100026/duke-mondy">Duke Mondy</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/101103/travis-bader">Travis Bader</a>. The duo averages 38 points per contest and Mondy in particular is very efficient, making nearly 60% of his shots. In fact, the team as a whole shoots well, as the connect on more than half of their attempts. Pitt's defense should be able to limit Oakland's effectiveness when they have the ball, but the Golden Grizzlies are capable of hanging in the game if they can get their shots to fall.</p>
<p>Oakland also has a bit of size. One of their best players is 6'10" forward/center <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124088/corey-petros">Corey Petros</a> and he should give freshman <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/174977/steven-adams">Steven Adams</a> some competition. And while they don't play a ton (the two have combined for 18 minutes a game and have only seen action in one game a piece), the Grizzlies' 6'11" <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145876/korab-imami">Korab Imami</a> and 6'9" <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/176917/raphael-carter">Raphael Carter</a> could also help Oakland match up against Pitt's frontcourt.</p>
<p>The Panthers should win this game fairly easily, but if they're caught looking ahead, Oakland has enough offense to keep things tight for a while.</p>
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https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2012/11/16/3652250/pitt-vs-oakland-score-basketball-pittsburgh-panthers-vs-michigan-wolverines-nit-tip-off-scheduleAnson Whaley