PITT FINDS FOCUS, ROUTS DEPAUL

February 8, 2009


For about the first 18 minutes of their game on Saturday between DePaul and No. 5 Pittsburgh, thoughts of Friday night's stunner were fresh in the minds of many watching. DePaul had a 33-29 lead and a frustrated Jamie Dixon burning time outs and his players' ears.

With a game against rival West Virginia ahead on Monday and the 'formality' of facing the Big East's last winless team in conference play, DePaul Was a Test of Pitt's Focus (Tribune-Review) and that focus had a lot to be desired.

However, this Pitt team seems a little different than those of the recent past. In the final 2:20 of the first half, the Panthers ripped off a 13-0 run and never looked back again in blowing DePaul out of their own building, 92-69.

Pitt eclipsed 90 points for the third straight game, this time led by a dominating performance by DeJuan Blair as Blair Hits a Career High in Pitt's Win (Post-Gazette) as the 6-foot-7 sophomore finishes with 32 points and 14 rebounds in the win.

The Pitt effort, as usual, had everyone chipping in. Levance Fields scored 13 points and also added 16 assists while turning the ball over just once. Sam Young had 10 points and 10 rebounds and sophomore Brad Wanamaker scored 13 off the bench.

Pitt held a 42-25 rebounding advantage and continued their improved three-point shooting by connecting on 11 off 22 from beyond the arc.

The performance was impressive, leaving veteran Daily Herald sports writer Lindsey Willhite saying 'I Think I Might Have Seen the NCAA Tournament Champ.'