DePaul hands Pitt fourth consecutive loss, 84-81
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ROSEMONT, Ill. -- DePaul handed Pitt its fourth consecutive loss tonight, a 84-81 setback at Allstate Arena. The loss marks the longest losing streak during Jamie Dixon's nine seasons as head coach. The Panthers have not won since a Dec. 20 home game against St. Francis, Pa.
Pitt held a four-point lead with 17.2 seconds remaining, but Brandon Young scored with nine seconds left. Seldom-used Isaiah Epps received the inbounds pass and was fouled. He missed both free throws.
Young then sliced toward the hoop, made a layup and was fouled by Ashton Gibbs with 1.2 seconds remaining. He made the free throw for the winning margin.
Playing its first game as an unranked team for the first time in two years, Pitt held double-digit leads in both halves but failed to hold on against a DePaul team that had lost 53 of its previous Big East games.
Dixon changed his startling lineup, replacing struggling center Dante Taylor with sophomore Talib Zanna and redshirt freshman shooting guard Cameron Wright with freshman John Johnson.
Zanna led the Panthers with 16 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome the late-game meltdown.
Pitt led 38-31 at halftime, and DePaul cut into that lead early in the second half. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Jamee Crockett and Moses Morgan made it 47-43 with 15:54 remaining. The Blue Demons cut the lead to one after a Brandon Young layup and had a chance to take the lead, but Morgan missed the front end of a one-and-one.
The Panthers took advantage and scored the next two buckets to resume control, but the Blue Demons finally did take their first lead since the opening minutes when Cleveland Melvin made two free throws for a 59-58 lead with 8:48 remaining.
DePaul pushed the lead to 65-62, but Lamar Patterson tied the score after a steal and layup with 6:11 left. The Panthers then took the lead again, 68-67, after Gibbs made a 3-pointer with 5:45 remaining.
Jeremiah Kelly answered with a 3-pointer, but Pitt scored the next five points. Dante Taylor made one free throw. After missing his second attempt, Nasir Robinson rebounded and was fouled. Robinson made both of his free throws.
After a DePaul miss, Gibbs hit a pull-up jumper for a 73-70 lead with 4:46 to go. It looked like the Panthers finally had control, but Kelly again nailed a 3-pointer to tie the score at 73.
The Panthers finally took the lead for good after Patterson got a loose ball and dunked with 1:21 remaining for a 79-77 lead.
Pitt fell behind 6-0 in the first minute of play, but the Panthers came back and controlled play for the rest of the half. They answered DePaul's six points with 12 unanswered points. The Panthers built their biggest lead after Cameron Wright scored on a layup to make it 26-14 with 8:27 remaining.
DePaul cut into that lead by halftime as the Blue Demons pressured the Panthers into some mistakes. They finished the half on a 105 run to make it a seven-point lead at halftime.
Brandon Young led DePaul with 11 points in the half. Zanna had eight for Pitt.
First Published January 5, 2012 9:16 pm
