Matt Freed, Post-Gazette Pitt's Levon Kendall works for a rebound against Vermont's Chad Powlovich, left, and Colin McIntosh yesterday at the Petersen Events Center. Click photo for larger image.

Due to semester exams, Pitt practiced sporadically last week as players spent more time in the library than in the gym. And for much of yesterday afternoon's game against Vermont, it appeared as if the Panthers' heads were still in the classroom.

Luckily for Pitt, the opponent was Vermont, a team with four first-year starters that was picked to finish among the bottom half of teams in the America East Conference. The Panthers survived their post-finals hangover and did the bare minimum to win, 63-52, before 8,993 at the Petersen Events Center.

Coach Jamie Dixon did not practice his team Sunday, Monday or Wednesday. When he did attempt to have a practice, three or four players were absent so they could study or take tests.

"We seem to play better when we practice. I'm sure about that," Dixon said with a smile. "It's not an excuse. It's just part of college basketball. Everyone goes through it. We had more finals later in the week this year than in the past. That was something that was different. We'll face worse adversity than that. Any wins in finals week is a good win."

The lack of practice showed early as Vermont raced to an early lead. But the Panthers settled down and received the constants that have ignited them all season -- defense and dependable efforts from Carl Krauser and Aaron Gray.

Pitt (8-0) held its seventh opponent to 60 points or less and held Vermont to 34 percent shooting. And while the offense was average at best -- the Panthers shot 40 percent from the field and just 27 percent from 3-point range -- they were able to go on two big scoring runs to take and retake control of the game.

"I thought Pitt could come out flat because it was exams week and it wasn't a full house," Vermont coach Mike Lonergan said. "We did a pretty good job [early]. Then they turned it on and we didn't respond."

Vermont took it to Pitt early and led, 15-7, with 11:22 remaining in the first half. The eight-point lead was Pitt's largest deficit of the season. That's when Carl Krauser flipped the switch and led the Panthers out of their doldrums. Krauser scored 13 of his game-high 21 points in the final 10 minutes of the first half to key a 25-4 run that produced a 32-19 lead at the intermission.

"We just couldn't guard Krauser," Lonergan said. "That was just a really tough matchup for us."

Gray had 11 points and 12 rebounds. It was his sixth double-double of the season.

Pitt held Vermont freshman guard Mike Trimboli, who came into the game averaging 17 points, to five. He was 1 for 7 from 3-point range.

Even with an off game from their best player, Vermont did not go away without one last gasp. The Catamounts were able to cut the lead to 44-38 with 11:01 remaining as Pitt sputtered after halftime. But the Panthers turned it on again, scoring 12 consecutive points to put the game away.

"We did it well enough in the second half," Krauser said. "But we have to do it for 40 minutes to do it in the Big East and to go far in the tournament. We just have to come together as a group and give a better effort next game."

Said Dixon: "It wasn't our best performance, but you can't have your best game every night."

Notes

Krauser moved past Chevy Troutman, Bobby Martin and Sean Miller on Pitt's all-time scoring list. Krauser has 1,289 points. He recorded his third consecutive 20-point game and has scored in double figures in seven of the first eight games. ... Gray's six double-doubles lead the Big East. ... Vermont was led by Kyle Cieplicki and Martin Klimes, who each had 12 points.