Pittsburgh ? Pittsburgh teams often have been known for great defense: the Steel Curtain, Bill Mazeroski and Roberto Clemente, Blitzburgh. It might be time to add Pitt’s never-let-’em-score Panthers to the list.
Pitt held California without a point for 9 1/2 minutes during a decisive 16-0 run, and the Panthers moved into the NCAA South Regional semifinals with a defense-driven 63-50 victory Sunday.
Julius Page scored seven of his 17 points during that spurt, which began with Cal leading 32-28 with 16:50 remaining and ended with Pitt up 44-32 with 7:08 left. The Golden Bears went more than 11 minutes without a basket, and 15-plus minutes with only one basket.
“They didn’t score for 11 minutes? In an NCAA second-round game?” Pitt coach Ben Howland said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Pitt’s third-team All-American, Brandin Knight, was an all-over-the-floor force with 11 points and seven assists, but wasn’t really a factor offensively not that he needed to be with Pitt’s defense so dominating, so controlling.
“We played poorly on offense and didn’t shoot well, but we knew that if we kept up our defense, we’d give ourselves a chance to win,” Knight said.
The NFL’s Steelers had the Steel Curtain during the 1970s, and now Pitt has the Steal Curtain a suffocating, Knight-led defense that is the school’s best in 50 years, and one that held Cal to only six baskets in the final 16:40 of play.
“It’s a team that embodies a Pittsburgher: tough, hard-nosed, hardworking,” Howland said. “Our guys love to play defense because our guys like to win. Defense equates to winning, and it’s true in any sport.”
By winning twice in Mellon Arena, a mile from its campus, third-seeded Pitt (29-5) moves into the regional semifinals for only the second time in school history. In 1974, the Panthers lost to sky-walking David Thompson’s national champion North Carolina State in the regional finals.
The Panthers will play 10th-seeded Kent State on Thursday in Lexington, Ky.
“I don’t think the teams that have played Kent State have respected them,” Knight said, referring to Alabama and Oklahoma State. “But we’ve seen them, and we’ll prepare for them like we do any other team. We’ll try to contain them and do what we do best.”
Pitt and Kent State played in but did not meet in an eight-team Thanksgiving tournament in Pittsburgh, with the Panthers losing to South Florida in the championship game.
Pittsburgh ? Pittsburgh teams often have been known for great defense: the Steel Curtain, Bill Mazeroski and Roberto Clemente, Blitzburgh. It might be time to add Pitt’s never-let-’em-score Panthers to the list.
Pitt held California without a point for 9 1/2 minutes during a decisive 16-0 run, and the Panthers moved into the NCAA South Regional semifinals with a defense-driven 63-50 victory Sunday.
Julius Page scored seven of his 17 points during that spurt, which began with Cal leading 32-28 with 16:50 remaining and ended with Pitt up 44-32 with 7:08 left. The Golden Bears went more than 11 minutes without a basket, and 15-plus minutes with only one basket.
“They didn’t score for 11 minutes? In an NCAA second-round game?” Pitt coach Ben Howland said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Pitt’s third-team All-American, Brandin Knight, was an all-over-the-floor force with 11 points and seven assists, but wasn’t really a factor offensively not that he needed to be with Pitt’s defense so dominating, so controlling.
“We played poorly on offense and didn’t shoot well, but we knew that if we kept up our defense, we’d give ourselves a chance to win,” Knight said.
The NFL’s Steelers had the Steel Curtain during the 1970s, and now Pitt has the Steal Curtain a suffocating, Knight-led defense that is the school’s best in 50 years, and one that held Cal to only six baskets in the final 16:40 of play.
“It’s a team that embodies a Pittsburgher: tough, hard-nosed, hardworking,” Howland said. “Our guys love to play defense because our guys like to win. Defense equates to winning, and it’s true in any sport.”
By winning twice in Mellon Arena, a mile from its campus, third-seeded Pitt (29-5) moves into the regional semifinals for only the second time in school history. In 1974, the Panthers lost to sky-walking David Thompson’s national champion North Carolina State in the regional finals.
The Panthers will play 10th-seeded Kent State on Thursday in Lexington, Ky.
“I don’t think the teams that have played Kent State have respected them,” Knight said, referring to Alabama and Oklahoma State. “But we’ve seen them, and we’ll prepare for them like we do any other team. We’ll try to contain them and do what we do best.”
Pitt and Kent State played in but did not meet in an eight-team Thanksgiving tournament in Pittsburgh, with the Panthers losing to South Florida in the championship game.
Pittsburgh ? Pittsburgh teams often have been known for great defense: the Steel Curtain, Bill Mazeroski and Roberto Clemente, Blitzburgh. It might be time to add Pitt’s never-let-’em-score Panthers to the list.
Pitt held California without a point for 9 1/2 minutes during a decisive 16-0 run, and the Panthers moved into the NCAA South Regional semifinals with a defense-driven 63-50 victory Sunday.
Julius Page scored seven of his 17 points during that spurt, which began with Cal leading 32-28 with 16:50 remaining and ended with Pitt up 44-32 with 7:08 left. The Golden Bears went more than 11 minutes without a basket, and 15-plus minutes with only one basket.
“They didn’t score for 11 minutes? In an NCAA second-round game?” Pitt coach Ben Howland said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Pitt’s third-team All-American, Brandin Knight, was an all-over-the-floor force with 11 points and seven assists, but wasn’t really a factor offensively not that he needed to be with Pitt’s defense so dominating, so controlling.
“We played poorly on offense and didn’t shoot well, but we knew that if we kept up our defense, we’d give ourselves a chance to win,” Knight said.
The NFL’s Steelers had the Steel Curtain during the 1970s, and now Pitt has the Steal Curtain a suffocating, Knight-led defense that is the school’s best in 50 years, and one that held Cal to only six baskets in the final 16:40 of play.
“It’s a team that embodies a Pittsburgher: tough, hard-nosed, hardworking,” Howland said. “Our guys love to play defense because our guys like to win. Defense equates to winning, and it’s true in any sport.”
By winning twice in Mellon Arena, a mile from its campus, third-seeded Pitt (29-5) moves into the regional semifinals for only the second time in school history. In 1974, the Panthers lost to sky-walking David Thompson’s national champion North Carolina State in the regional finals.
The Panthers will play 10th-seeded Kent State on Thursday in Lexington, Ky.
“I don’t think the teams that have played Kent State have respected them,” Knight said, referring to Alabama and Oklahoma State. “But we’ve seen them, and we’ll prepare for them like we do any other team. We’ll try to contain them and do what we do best.”
Pitt and Kent State played in but did not meet in an eight-team Thanksgiving tournament in Pittsburgh, with the Panthers losing to South Florida in the championship game.
Pittsburgh ? Pittsburgh teams often have been known for great defense: the Steel Curtain, Bill Mazeroski and Roberto Clemente, Blitzburgh. It might be time to add Pitt’s never-let-’em-score Panthers to the list.
Pitt held California without a point for 9 1/2 minutes during a decisive 16-0 run, and the Panthers moved into the NCAA South Regional semifinals with a defense-driven 63-50 victory Sunday.
Julius Page scored seven of his 17 points during that spurt, which began with Cal leading 32-28 with 16:50 remaining and ended with Pitt up 44-32 with 7:08 left. The Golden Bears went more than 11 minutes without a basket, and 15-plus minutes with only one basket.
“They didn’t score for 11 minutes? In an NCAA second-round game?” Pitt coach Ben Howland said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Pitt’s third-team All-American, Brandin Knight, was an all-over-the-floor force with 11 points and seven assists, but wasn’t really a factor offensively not that he needed to be with Pitt’s defense so dominating, so controlling.
“We played poorly on offense and didn’t shoot well, but we knew that if we kept up our defense, we’d give ourselves a chance to win,” Knight said.
The NFL’s Steelers had the Steel Curtain during the 1970s, and now Pitt has the Steal Curtain a suffocating, Knight-led defense that is the school’s best in 50 years, and one that held Cal to only six baskets in the final 16:40 of play.
“It’s a team that embodies a Pittsburgher: tough, hard-nosed, hardworking,” Howland said. “Our guys love to play defense because our guys like to win. Defense equates to winning, and it’s true in any sport.”
By winning twice in Mellon Arena, a mile from its campus, third-seeded Pitt (29-5) moves into the regional semifinals for only the second time in school history. In 1974, the Panthers lost to sky-walking David Thompson’s national champion North Carolina State in the regional finals.
The Panthers will play 10th-seeded Kent State on Thursday in Lexington, Ky.
“I don’t think the teams that have played Kent State have respected them,” Knight said, referring to Alabama and Oklahoma State. “But we’ve seen them, and we’ll prepare for them like we do any other team. We’ll try to contain them and do what we do best.”
Pitt and Kent State played in but did not meet in an eight-team Thanksgiving tournament in Pittsburgh, with the Panthers losing to South Florida in the championship game.
