The Pittsburgh Panthers won two close games to remain undefeated in the 2003-04 season as well as staying atop the Big East standings. Ranked No. 13 by the Associated Press this week, the Panthers (17-0, 3-0 Big East) are off to their best start since the 1929-30 season, when Pitt went 21-0.
On Saturday, Pitt traveled to Miami where they had not won in their last six visits. Sophomore guard Carl Krauser, Pitt’s leading scorer who had missed the previous four games, led the Panthers with 19 points, including two on a game-tying layup with no time remaining in regulation to force overtime. After two extra periods, Pittsburgh escaped with an 84-80 victory.
The Panthers started strong, building a 32-20 lead with five minutes left in the first half. But Miami fought back and entered halftime trailing by just two points. The Hurricanes led 62-59 with under a minute to play, but senior guard Julius Page tied the game with a three-pointer. Miami went ahead 64-62 with just 3.9 seconds left, but the Hurricanes’ porous defense allowed Krause to run the length of the floor and send the game into overtime.
Senior guard Jaron Brown contributed 16 points for the Panthers, while Page netted 15.
The Panthers returned to Pittsburgh two days later to face Notre Dame. In a close match, the Panthers came out on top, 74-71, to extend three impressive streaks. The win was Pitt’s 36th straight at home and 17th consecutive overall victory, both nation-high marks. Defeating Notre Dame also gave Pitt its ninth straight Big East win.
The game featured several lead changes, including six in the last nine minutes of play. Junior guard Chris Thomas scored a game-high 29 points for the Fighting Irish, but the Panthers responded with a trademark balanced offensive attack. Each starter scored at least 10 points. Brown led the team with 19 points, while Page and Krauser contributed 18 and 15, respectively.
Notre Dame led 52-51 in the second half, until Krauser’s three-pointer put the Panthers ahead for good. The Irish would threaten, pulling within one at 67-66, but was forced to foul in the final moments of the game. Pitt hit seven free throws in the last 50 seconds to close out the victory.
Pitt travels to Rutgers tomorrow and faces its biggest challenge Thursday, as it visits No. 1 Connecticut in a meeting of Big East undefeateds.
– Jon Shoup-Mendizabal
Were it not for their home loss to current Associated Press No. 12 Georgia Tech back in late Nov., the Connecticut Huskies would look even more impressive – and they’re already the top-ranked team in the country. Wednesday night’s 94-70 win over Georgetown puts the Huskies’ record at 14-1 (2-0 Big East), and they’re currently riding an 11-game win streak that began after the loss to the Yellow Jackets.
Junior center Emeka Okafor continues to provide UConn with an invaluable presence in the paint. His always-stalwart defensive numbers – 11.6 rebounds, 5 blocks and countless altered shots – remain at a high level and he has even boosted his scoring to 19 points per game, best on the team.
Guard Ben Gordon, a fellow junior, is averaging 18.9 points this season, but scored what may have been his most important eight points of the year on Jan. 6. In the Huskies’ road game against Rutgers, Gordon helped his team recover from a two-point deficit with only four and a half minutes remaining, and UConn eventually escaped the RAC with a 75-74 win.
Gordon picked up his fifth foul with less than 10 seconds remaining, but a remarkable inbounds play saw three Connecticut players successfully avoiding the Rutgers foul and running out the clock on time.
Okafor scored 21 points in the contest, while heralded freshman forward Charlie Villaneuva added 15.
On Sunday, the Huskies appeared to have recovered sufficiently from their close shave to put together a stellar game against Oklahoma. The No.11 Sooners were humbled, 86-59, in front of the Gampel Pavilion crowd.
Five Connecticut players scored in double-figures and the Huskies shot better than 50 percent. On the other hand, Oklahoma struggled to make shots and hit only 27.4 percent from the field.
Saturday afternoon provides UConn with another headline matchup when they travel to play University of North Carolina in the Dean Smith Dome at 3:30 p.m. The following week, the Huskies open the bulk of conference play by hosting Pittsburgh on Jan. 19.
– Aaron Melaas
Trying to match last year’s success, this time without star Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse has kept itself in the top 25 with a 12-1 record. The team’s only loss came in its first game, a 96-92 upset at the hands of Charlotte. Since then Syracuse cruised through its pre-conference schedule without any difficulties. Head Coach Jim Boeheim moved into 19th place on the all-time win list with 665 victories after his team’s 82-68 victory over issouri last Sunday. In its first two Big East matchups, the Orangemen downed the Red Storm of St. John’s 65-59 on Jan. 7 and trounced the Boston College Golden Eagles 96-63 on Jan. 10.
Junior forward Hakim Warrik leads the team with 19.6 points per game. He also leads in rebounds per game with 8.1. Sophomore guard Gerry McNamara, who was lethal behind the arc in last year’s NCAA Championship game, has once again proved to be one of the nation’s top three-point shooters, knocking in 42.5 percent of his shots behind the arc. He is also the team’s second highest scorer, garnering 17.9 points per game. The team has shot 405-of-814 for the season, averaging just shy of 50 percent. Four of the five starters are shooting above 50 percent. There are few if any statistics in which the Orangemen lag, and the team stands at No. 17 in the Associated Press poll and No. 19 in the USA Today/ESPN poll this week, the third highest ranked team in the conference. Syracuse next takes on Notre Dame on Saturday at 6 p.m. in South Bend, Ind. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
– Michael Grendell
Notre Dame has had a busy week of Big East play. On Saturday, Jan. 10 the Fighting Irish took on Villanova on the road and managed their first win against the Wildcats since 1995 with a score of 82-78. It was a close game that was decided late in the second half. Villanova’s poor free-throw shooting in the final minute of the game contributed to its downfall, as the team missed 6 out of 10 free throws. The real difference in the game was the clutch performance of Irish junior guard Chris Thomas. Thomas had 21 of his 26 points in the second half of the contest. Although he fouled out with 19 seconds left, ‘Nova could not take advantage of his absence. Senior guard Torrian Jones had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. The road win marked the sixth straight victory for the Fighting Irish. On Monday, Jan. 15 that winning streak came to an end at the hands of the Pittsburgh Panthers, who remained undefeated. Pitt, ranked No. 13 in the country, had its hands full with the Notre Dame team, but edged the Irish by a score of 74-71. The Irish had a strong first half but fell victim to a strong comeback effort by the Panthers. Thomas again lead Notre Dame in scoring with 29 points, shot 50 percent from the field, and was one assist shy of a double-double. After this week Notre Dame is 8-4 overall with a 2-1 conference record which is good enough for fourth place in the Big East conference. The Irish have two more Big East matchups next week as they will take on national champion Syracuse and Virginia Tech.
– Jackie Spirer
Seton Hall saw a 13-game win streak at Continental Airlines Arena snapped by Providence on Monday in a 63-60 defeat. Despite five players scoring in double digits – including a double-double by sophomore forward Kelly Whitney – the Pirates could not overcome Friar junior forward Ryan Gomes and senior center Marcus Douthit, who each had 14 points in the win. Providence held Seton Hall to 41.4 percent shooting on the evening and staved off a late rally by its host. Senior guard Andre Barrett notched seven assists to maintain his Big East-leading average of 6.8 per game.
The loss was also the first for the Pirates since Dec. 10, when they fell to Louisville, 80-71. During the winning stretch, Seton Hall knocked off future conference member DePaul, 76-62, and handily defeated St. John’s in its Big East opener, 71-54.
Senior guard Andre Barrett, who leads the team in scoring with 18.5 points per game, tallied 25 points at La Salle on Jan. 3 – his second highest offensive effort of the season. In that game, his output was matched by Whitney, who narrowly missed a double-double with nine boards.
Seton Hall is fifth in the conference in scoring offense and fourth in scoring defense, averaging 73.9 points while allowing 61.6 per outing. The team is also the only one in the Big East with five players averaging in double figures – with Whitney (13.3), junior forwards John Allen (12.8) and Andre Sweet (11), and sophomore forward J.R. Morris (10.6) in addition to Barrett.
– Michael Kurdyla
Providence started their new year with an easy victory over Virginia, 84-69. Junior forward Ryan Gomes led the Friars with 27 points and 11 rebounds. Senior center Marcus Douthit worked hard in the paint, collecting seven rebounds, blocking six shots and dishing four assists. Providence followed the win with controversy. In a 79-77 loss to Texas, Longhorns’ freshman guard P.J. Tucker hit a shot with all zeros on the clock. The red light that indicates the end of the game, however, had not yet lit. By Big East rules, the lights and horn, not the clock, indicate that the game is over. The referees conferred for almost ten minutes before declaring the shot good and Texas as the winners. Some observers have estimated that the difference between the clock and light was within hundredths of a second.
Providence, who entered the game ranked No. 25 in the nation, started the Big East season with a heartbreaking 65-64 loss to Rutgers. Rutgers’ senior forward Herve Lamizana hit a game winning three-pointer with less than one second on the clock after Providence had led for 29 straight minutes. Gomes led the Friars with 27 points, and was second on the team with seven rebounds. Douthit continued to fill the stat sheet, leading Providence in rebounds (11), blocked shots (6), and steals (2), and finishing second in scoring (16 points) and assists (2). The Friars earned their first Big East win versus Seton Hall in a close 63-60 contest. Gomes and Douthit led in scoring, both with 17 points. The Friars will face Big East foes West Virginia and Villanova, as well as Loyola Chicago, in the upcoming week.
– Nick Waters
The Miami Hurricanes, in their last year in the Big East, are looking to improve on last year’s 4-12 record in the conference. Entering the regular season with a respectable 10-4 preseason record, Miami had a largely undemanding schedule, yet still suffered two early season losses to Rhode Island and Bradley in the Las Vegas Tournament. In December Miami fell to instate rival Florida State 67-58, for their only loss of the month. The Hurricanes did not lose again until Jan. 7 when they faced North Carolina, the No. 9 team in this week’s Associated Press Poll, falling 89-64 in their worst loss so far this year.
For their first Big East game, Miami faced AP-ranked No. 13 Pittsburgh, who is one of only four remaining undefeated teams in the nation this season. In a game that went to double overtime, the Hurricanes were leading by two with 3.9 seconds left in regulation, but finally fell 84-80 despite 22 points and nine rebounds from senior forward Darius Rice. Freshman guard Guillermo Diaz also added 18 points and sophomore guard Robert Hite contributed 16 points and six assists in the loss.
Most recently, Miami was able to pick up their first Big East win with a 70-64 victory over St. John’s on Jan. 14. Hite led the Hurricanes with 20 points. Hite has reached double figures in every game this season, over 16 points per game this season after averaging 7.6 ppg last year. This is the ninth time in their last 11 meetings that a Miami-St. John’s game has been decided by six points or less.
Miami next faces Virginia Tech on Jan. 17 at 2 p.m.
– Brenna McGee
The Wildcats have had trouble getting on a tear since the ball dropped on Dec. 31. Villanova is 1-3 since the beginning of the New Year, losing to Kansas, Memphis and Notre Dame, with the only victory coming in a nail-biter against Boston College. Versus Kansas, the Wildcats only shot .373 from the field, and lost 79-86. Sophomore guard Randy Foye was the worst offender, shooting just 4-15, as well as having three turnovers. Kansas junior guard Keith Langford led the Jayhawks with 24 points, including 14 from the free-throw stripe. Sophomore guard Allan Ray paced the ‘Cats with 22 points. Ray cooled later that week when ‘Nova faced emphis, scoring only eight points, only attempting two field goals. The Tigers rolled against Villanova 73-57. No Wildcat scored over 12 points, with the team shooting an even worse .310 from the field. Memphis was led by Sean Banks and Antonio Burks, both scoring 22 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. Allan Ray and Villanova’s shooting bounced back in the game against Notre Dame, but the team still came away with a loss, 78-82. Ray and Foye both scored 18 points. Villanova got over its losing ways with a victory against Boston College 92-89. Freshman guard Mike Nardi scored a career-high 24 points to lead the ‘Cats. ‘Nova out-shot and outrebounded the Eagles, and shot .700 from three-point land. In the next week, the Wildcats will host St. John’s and will travel to the Dunkin Donuts Center to face Providence.
– Nick Waters
Virginia Tech, despite a winning record in the preseason, has a tough road ahead of them in the Big East. After playing largely painless games early to bolster their preseason record to 7-4, the Hokies lost to both of their respectable opponents in Virginia and Ohio State, and will be hard pressed to improve on last year’s 5-11 Big East record.
On Jan. 6, Virginia Tech dropped their season opener to Pittsburgh, 78-59. It was a close contest in the early going, with seven lead changes and five ties in the first half, but the match soon slipped out of the Hokies’ grasp. In the second half Pittsburgh led by as many as 25, and never let their lead drop below double digits. Senior swingman Bryant Matthews scored a game-high 22 points for Virginia Tech, but it was not enough to get past the undefeated Panthers.
The Hokies most recent game on Jan. 14 was a much closer match. Facing West Virginia in Morgantown, the Hokies were down a point at halftime and exchanged the lead with the Mountaineers throughout the second half, with the score tied at 63-63 as late into the game as 3:01 remaining. Coming out of a timeout, Senior guard Markus Sailes put Virginia Tech ahead with a jumper, and the Hokies were able to hold off the Mountaineers for the remaining minutes to get their first Big East win.
Virginia Tech next faces Miami on Jan. 17 at 2 p.m.
– Brenna McGee
Boston College’s men’s basketball team continued its Big East schedule by taking on national champion Syracuse on Saturday, Jan. 10 in New York. Syracuse, currently ranked No. 17 in the AP poll, made easy work of its opponents to the north, dispatching the Eagles by a score of 96-73. The Eagles shot poorly from the field going 10-of-27 from the field in the first half. During that time the Orangemen were able to put together a 21-0 run. It seemed as if the Eagles would be able to mount a comeback in the second half as they closed to within six, led by sophomore forward Craig Smith. Smith finished the game with 27 points and nine rebounds, but his efforts were not enough as Syracuse again took control of the game with its hot shooting. For Boston College freshman forward Jared Dudley was 11-of-11 from the free-throw line, totaling 15 points. As with many of the Big East teams, the Eagles went into the conference schedule having played a weak non-conference schedule, against the likes of Stony Brook and Sacred Heart. On Wednesday night Boston College ran into Villanova and was defeated by a final score of 92-89. ‘Nova was able to mount a comeback in the second half and Eagles’ head coach Al Skinner put a lot of the blame on poor defensive play by his team. The B.C. defense could not stop the onslaught of three-pointers that ‘Nova was able to put up and the Eagles saw the lead slip away despite strong performances from Smith and Dudley. Smith fouled out of the game with six rebounds and 21 points. Dudley had 19. With the two recent losses, BC has fallen to 11-4 overall and 1-2 in conference play, which places the team in the bottom third of the Big East standings. The Eagles will look for some respite from their tough schedule as they take on Seton Hall on Saturday, Jan. 17.
– Jackie Spirer
After opening their conference schedule with a loss at the Hoyas on Jan. 3, the Scarlet Knights gave their best performance to date this season three days later when they played host to the No. 1 Huskies. Senior forward Herve Lamizana scored 20 points and recorded six blocks, but they were not enough to stop Emeka Okafor and top-ranked Connecticut from pulling off a 75-74 win.
Since the near-upset, Rutgers has taken two close contests from Providence and non-conference opponent Monmouth. Against the then-ranked No. 25 Friars, Lamizana came through in the clutch, sinking a three-pointer with just seconds remaining to rally the Knights to a 65-64 victory. He tallied 21 points on the evening and junior guard Ricky Shields contributed another 14.
Rutgers had five players score in double digits Tuesday against in-state rival Monmouth (7-6, 2-0 NEC), with Lamizana pacing the scoring for the third consecutive match with 18. Senior forward Sean Axani, who is second on the team in both rebounds and assists, recorded his second double-double of the season with 11 points and an equal number of boards. Despite displaying a high-powered offense, the Knights had a hard time putting away the Hawks. onmouth went on a 7-0 run in the final three minutes of regulation to force overtime, though Rutgers took an early lead in the extra period which it did not relinquish, earning a 78-75 win.
Lamizana is first in rebounds with 8.9 per match – putting him fifth in the Big East in that category. He is listed as probable for Saturday’s matchup against undefeated Pittsburgh following a leg injury during overtime of the Monmouth game.
– Michael Kurdyla
The West Virginia Mountaineers (8-5, 1-2 Big East) suffered two crushing blows this week, losing a heartbreaker to Virginia Tech on Wednesday, two days after kicking junior Drew Schifino off the team.
Schifino, West Virginia’s leading scorer, was dismissed for an unspecified rules violation. The 6-foot-3 guard was suspended for Saturday’s 62-58 victory over Georgetown, and the announcement of his dismissal was made on Monday. For a team that ranks 12th in the Big East in scoring, West Virginia will be hard-pressed to replace Schifino’s offense (17.6 points per game). Junior Tyrone Sally took Schifino’s spot in the starting lineup against the Hoyas and contributed 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Against the Hokies, West Virginia shot well, connecting on 25-of-45 attempts (55.6 percent). Yet Virginia Tech was nearly as accurate, shooting 50.9 percent from the field. The Hokies held a slim lead at halftime, and led by as much as 42-35 in the second half. The Mountaineers rallied back, as sophomore guard Patrick Beilein’s three-pointer capped a 13-5 run to give West Virginia a 58-51 lead. Beilein led the Mountaineers with a career-high 16 points.
Virginia Tech reclaimed the lead with the help of a 7-0 run, but the game was tied until the Hokies’ Markus Sailes made a game-winning layup with 13 seconds to put Tech ahead, 69-67. It marked West Virginia’s second loss in three games.
Sally (11 points) was the Mountaineers’ only scorer besides Beilein to hit the double-digit mark.
West Virginia’s next game is on Tuesday, Jan. 20 against arshall.
– Jon Shoup-Mendizabal
Despite 14-plus point performances from three different players, turnover trouble plagued St. John’s as the squad lost its Tuesday game to Miami 70-64 at Alumni Hall. The Red Storm committed 19 turnovers in the contest, while the loss extended their losing streak to three straight and dropped them to 0-3 in conference play and 4-9 overall.
Play was close in the first half, with Miami taking only a one-point lead into the locker room at halftime, but after the break the Hurricanes went on a run, extending their lead to nine after only two minutes of the second half. St. John’s gave chase and took the lead briefly with just over nine minutes left to play. But once the Hurricanes went up 58-56 on two baskets off the bench from junior forward William Frisby, they were on top to stay.
The Red Storm was led by senior forward Grady Reynolds and sophomore guard Elijah Ingram, who each scored 16 points. Reynolds was 5-of-11 from the floor and sank all but two of his eight free throws, while Ingram went 6-for-10 on free throws and 1-for-3 from three-point range during his 38 minutes of play. Sophomore guard Darryl Hill added 14 points on 7-of-16 shooting.
The Red Storm returns to action on Sunday when they hope to break their losing streak against Villanova. The Wildcats are 1-1 in Big East play and 9-5 overall and just broke their own three-game losing streak with a win over Boston College on Tuesday. Tip-off is for 2 p.m. at The Pavilion at Villanova.
– Mary Goundrey
