Issues for defense upset at 'the Pete'
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The view from the Pitt bench of the Panthers' loss wasn't easy to accept Wednesday at Petersen Events Center. Pitt's Nasir Robinson, middle, gets caught between Long Beach State's T.J. Robinson, left, and Michael Caffey. -
Long Beach State's Edis Dervisevic wraps up Nasir Robinson while going for the ball in the first half Saturday night at Petersen Events Center.
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Pitt was hoping to get its defensive issues corrected in time for Long Beach State's visit to the Petersen Events Center Wednesday night. The 49ers only added to the growing concerns of Panthers coach Jamie Dixon.
Long Beach State went through Pitt like a hot knife through butter, slicing and dicing the defense at will in a 86-76 victory against the No. 9Panthers.
The loss snapped a 58-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents. The loss was only the second for the Panthers against a non-conference opponent since their home building opened in 2002. The other loss came Jan. 2, 2005, against Bucknell.
- Game: Pitt (2-1) vs. La Salle (1-1), Petersen Events Center.
- When: 7 p.m. Tuesday.
- TV: None.
For Long Beach State, it was the first victory against a ranked opponent in 17 years. The previous time the 49ers beat a ranked team was Feb. 24, 1994, a win against No. 25 New Mexico State.
"It's real disappointing," senior forward Nasir Robinson said. "They wanted it more than us. They worked harder. They got to loose balls. They executed better. They outsmarted us. They just wanted it more."
The loss came three days after Rider shot 53 percent in a game the Panthers had to come from behind to win. There was no comeback this time.
Long Beach State led by nine at halftime and maintained a comfortable lead throughout the second half. The closest the Panthers came was six points.
Casper Ware led Long Beach State (2-0) with 28 points. James Ennis added 19 and Larry Anderson 12. The 49ers shot 59 percent from the field and scored 48 points in the paint.
"They beat us every which way," Dixon said.
Dixon knew Long Beach State would be a challenge when he scheduled the game. The 49ers have four returning starters from a team that won the Big West Conference regular-season championship last season.
"I anticipated us being a much better team at this time," he said. "Obviously, we're not where I'd like us to be."
Ashton Gibbs led Pitt with 20 points. Robinson had 19 and Tray Woodall 17. Gibbs had a chance to cut the lead to three points with 50 seconds left, but his 3-point attempt was off line.
Porous defense was the main reason for the setback. The 49ers had 25 fast-break points, and those baskets came in a variety of ways. Some came from Pitt's poor shot selection on the offensive end, others from turnovers. Woodall had five of the team's 12 turnovers.
"The transition baskets really hurt," Dixon said. "I don't think we understood how quick those guys were getting down the court."
First Published November 17, 2011 12:00 am
