Pitt wins fourth consecutive game with 79-70 victory against Villanova
Share with others:
Tray Woodall scored a career high 29 points and Ashton Gibbs added 24 to lead Pitt to a 79-70 victory against Villanova this afternoon at the Petersen Events Center.
The Panthers (15-9, 4-7) won their fourth consecutive game after opening the Big East schedule with seven consecutive losses.
Villanova (10-13, 3-8) has dropped three in a row and five of its past seven.
Pitt led 40-28 at halftime after a 24-6 run over the final seven minutes of the first half.
The Panthers seized control with a 22-2 run midway through the first half when they held Villanova without a field goal for almost eight minutes. The Panthers trailed, 21-16, with 8:17 remaining, but Woodall made back-to-back 3-pointers 32 seconds apart to give the Panthers a 22-21 lead.
Those 3-pointers were two of six 3-point plays by the Panthers during the run. Gibbs made two 3-pointers and had a conventional 3-point play after getting fouled on a circus shot. Dante Taylor scored the final points of the run after converting a 3-point play on a fast break.
Pitt shot 54 percent in the first half while Villanova shot 30 percent. The Wildcats were able to stay close because they grabbed 10 offensive rebounds and forced nine Pitt turnovers.
Pitt went up by 18 in the opening minutes of the second half. Villanova cut the lead to three with 57 seconds remaining after Maalik Wayns made a 3-pointer. Wayns had an open look at a 3-pointer to tie the score with 36 seconds left, but he missed. Woodall was fouled and made two free throws.
First Published February 5, 2012 4:25 pm
