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This brawl goes to Panthers
PITTSBURGH - In a rare moment of offensive execution and accurate shooting, a defensive-minded basketball version of the Backyard Brawl produced one of its most memorable endings.
Trailing by two with eight seconds remaining, Pitt emerged from a timeout with a play designed for Sam Young. Gilbert Brown inbounded to Ronald Ramon, who quickly noticed Young was guarded. Ramon dribbled left before hitting Keith Benjamin at the top of the key.
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"There was only two seconds left and they were worried about the guy with the ball," Ramon said. "I just spaced out when I hit the shot. I hoped I got it off in time."
Ramon's shot provided a highlight-reel ending to a game where the two rivals combined to shoot a miserable 39 of 103 (37.9 percent).
West Virginia (16-7, 5-5 Big East), in particular, struggled.
The Mountaineers made nine three-pointers in 19 attempts, including a bank shot from Darris Nichols for a 51-50 lead. The long-range shooting kept West Virginia in the game, and even provided several leads. But the Mountaineers were undone with a 10-for-34 shooting performance inside the arc and a pathetic 7-for-17 (41.2 percent) showing from the free-throw line.
"I think it's pretty apparent that we can beat anybody, we've got to suck it up and go play," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. "The reality is we're depending on people we shouldn't depend on. We just don't score. We're supposed to be a good shooting team, at least that's what I was told."
During the game, Huggins vented frustrations on junior forward Joe Alexander, arguably the team's best athlete. Alexander finished with five points on 2-for-22 shooting.
After the game, Huggins continued to criticize Alexander.
"Pitt's a good defensive team but I don't think they're so good that Joe can't hit the rim on his first three or four shots," Huggins said.
He also had hard words for Smith, who left Ramon open on the game-winner.
"We had four guys switch and one guy decide he was going to push up. Wellington thought he needed to go help and (Ramon) hit a big shot," Huggins added. "That was one guy we talked about that we couldn't let beat us - him and Sam Young."
Huggins, in his first year at West Virginia and coaching players recruited by current Michigan coach John Beilein, looked anxious to get his own talent in after this loss, the Mountaineers' third in four games.
"I need to play guys that will listen," Huggins said.
No. 21 Pitt (18-5, 6-4) doesn't have that problem.
The Panthers, who won for just the third time in six games, continue to struggle from the field. They made 20 of 50 attempts (40.0 percent) and freshman DeJuan Blair stayed mired in a slump.
Blair made three of 13 field goals and took a couple bad shots near the end. With less than 20 seconds remaining, Brown broke free on a fast break and dished to Blair, who tried an up-and-under shot.
But Blair helped solidify Pitt's NCAA Tournament hopes with two big plays.
His tip back to Benjamin on an inbound play led to a Benjamin dunk that got Pitt within 53-52. He also set the screen to help free Ramon on his last-second shot.
"It was a big-time shot by a big-time player," Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. "Ronald made the shot but Keith made the play and made the extra pass. DeJuan set the screen. Those things got to be done first."
Of course, none of it would have mattered had Ramon not drained the open shot, which hurt West Virginia's tournament hopes.
"The rotation was good and it felt good but you could never trust a shot," Ramon said.
Huggins, who watched the play unfold, said he believed it was going in the moment he saw Ramon shoot.
"Winners find ways to win," Huggins shrugged.
Bits and pieces - Following Ramon's shot, injured guard Levance Fields led the charge to mob his teammate. Fields broke his left foot against Dayton and Pitt is 7-4 without their starting point guard. After the game Dixon said recent x-rays on Fields' foot came back positive. "He looks good. He was running on a treadmill," Dixon said. ... Young and Benjamin led Pitt with 10 points apiece. Blair grabbed 12 rebounds. ... Nichols led West Virginia with 16 points and Joe Mazzulla added 15 points on 6-for-7 shooting.
