Pitt beats Penn, 78-58, as Birch shines in first start
-
Pitt's Talib Zanna elevates for a shot Friday against Penn's Marin Kukoc at The Palestra in Philadelphia.
Share with others:
PHILADELPHIA -- Pitt freshman Khem Birch came to Pitt with plenty of fanfare. He was coach Jamie Dixon's second McDonald's All-American and has athletic skills that few Pitt post players of the past have possessed.
Birch did not perform well in his first three games at power forward, but since switching to center he is looking like the dominant player many believed he would be.
Making the first start of his college career in place of injured starter Dante Taylor, Birch recorded his first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds to lead No. 17 Pitt past Penn, 78-58, at The Palestra.
Dixon said Taylor sat out because of migraine headaches. He will be evaluated today and his status for the game Sunday against Robert Morris is not known. Taylor was one of two starters who did not suit up for the Panthers (4-1).
Lamar Patterson sat on the bench because Dixon suspended him for two games because of a violation of team rules. Patterson, a Lancaster native who started the first four games, was told Thursday that he would not be playing.
"He's not doing what he's supposed to do," Dixon said. "There's a right way to do things."
It is the second time in as many seasons that Patterson was suspended. Last season, Dixon sat him for one game against West Virginia, a game the Panthers won on the road.
The Panthers did not miss a beat without Patterson then or Friday night. Sophomore J.J. Moore stepped in and played well, scoring 12 points and grabbing six rebounds in a career-high 31 minutes.
"He played well," Dixon said. "He played within himself. He knocked down open shots. With the way our guards pass and move the ball, that's what he has to do."
Senior guard Ashton Gibbs scored 13 of his 16 points in the second half when the Panthers pulled away from the Quakers, who trailed by only six at halftime. Senior forward Nasir Robinson, who is from nearby Chester, Pa., added 14 points.
First Published November 26, 2011 12:00 am
