Woodall shines again in victory
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Pitt's Tray Woodall celebrates his team's win against Villanova Sunday afternoon at Petersen Events Center.
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Tray Woodall keeps getting better, and Pitt keeps on winning.
There are more intricate details involved in Pitt's four-game winning streak for sure, but Woodall's stellar play is just about all one needs to know as the Panthers continue their late push for an NCAA tournament berth.
Woodall scored a career-high 29 points to lead Pitt past Villanova, 79-70, Sunday in a Big East Conference game at Petersen Events Center. He was 7 for 12 from the field, 3 for 6 from 3-point range and 12 for 12 from the free-throw line.
And even when Woodall opened the door for a Villanova comeback with some late turnovers, he atoned by making clutch play after clutch play in the final minute to seal the victory.
"I just want to attack," said Woodall, who is still smarting from an abdominal injury that kept him out of 11 of 12 games in December and most of January. "I don't know if anyone thinks I'm hurting or whatever the case may be. I just want to leave the floor knowing that I made no excuses. I'm not worrying about my injury. I'm just going out there and playing basketball. At the end of the day, you don't want to leave the court with regrets. You want to leave the court knowing that you gave everything on the floor... that you fought for your teammates. That's what I'm trying to do. And it's helping me look real good."
And it's helping the Panthers (15-9, 4-7) climb their way back into contention for an NCAA tournament berth. Two weeks ago, they were alone in last place in the Big East standings. After Sunday, they are in a four-way tie for 10th place.
One or two more wins, and the Panthers should be on the NCAA tournament bubble.
Villanova (10-13, 3-8) made the game interesting in the final minute after getting behind by 18 in the early stages of the second half. Maalik Wayns, who scored a team-high 18 points for the Wildcats, cut the lead to three with 57 seconds remaining.
First Published February 6, 2012 12:00 am
