Submit your Pitt football question

Q: What is it with Pitt's inability to cover the opposing team's hot shooter? We see this happen time and time again at the end of games. The latest being Ryan Appleby of Washington, who almost took down the Panthers. Up by 6 and Pitt leaves the hot shooter open for the pass and shot. Why don't they cover the hot outside shooter and force them to score 3 times from the paint as opposed to twice from the 3 point line, or even better 6 of 6 from the foul line? Am I missing something? What are your thoughts on this?

Chris Costa, Warwick, N.Y.

FITTIPALDO: I know the final sequence was frustrating for a lot of Pitt fans, but when Appleby hit his final 3-pointer it was off a mad scramble for the ball. It appeared that there was going to be a tie-up in the lane and a jump ball when DeJuan Blair (I think, maybe it was Sam Young) and Jon Brockman were tussling for possession. Brockman ripped the ball out of the pile and found Appleby, who had smartly found open space for himself. I know Pitt had trouble covering Appleby throughout the game, but that was a different type of circumstance.

As reporters, we have asked Jamie Dixon about his end-of-game strategy on many occasions over the years and he always says the higher percentage play is to make a team hit a 3-pointer instead of fouling and stopping the clock in those situations. If Appleby misses that shot the game is over.

If you foul and Washington makes one free throw and misses the second on purpose and grabs the rebound, then, all of a sudden, you're in a position where you can go to overtime if they make a 3-pointer. Or the

Huskies could have made two to be down by two and still foul Levance Fields on the inbounds with five seconds remaining.

I know Pitt was in position to lose because Appleby made the 3-pointer, but Dixon will take his chances with Fields at the foul line in that situation.

Bottom line: There is no right or wrong answer. But Dixon has clearly developed a strategy over the years for those situations. If memory serves correct, this argument arose when Pitt beat Notre Dame at the

Petersen Events Center a few years ago. Notre Dame made a series of late 3-pointers to send the game to overtime. Pitt finally won, but there were a lot of questions about the way the end of the game was

handled.