Fifth-ranked Panthers open with win over Duquesne
PITTSBURGH – Opening night for the University of Pittsburgh basketball team carried an extra-special meaning this year. The fifth-ranked Panthers christened their new Petersen Events Center in style by defeating cross-town rival Duquesne, 82-67, on Saturday night.
“We were glad to get the victory, so now we can put this first game behind us and finally call this home,” Pittsburgh head coach Ben Howland said. “The atmosphere is great here and we have a good team with good depth, so the win is big for us.”
The once-infamous and 71-year old “City Game,” the annual battle between Pitt and Duquesne, was getting stale in previous years, but on this night, the game was anything but stale, as pomp and circumstance surrounded the Petersen Center, only one of two sold-out gyms in the Big East Conference this season.
“It was tough to play such a historic game as this and I told the team at half we couldn’t play much worse and still hold the lead at halftime,” Howland said. “The keys to the victory were out-rebounding them and holding them down on the offensive side of the ball.”
The Panthers were forced to shake off opening-night jitters and could muster no more than a five-point lead in the first half, entering the locker room up only 33-29.
The pesky Dukes hung tough after switching to a 2-3 defense that temporarily stymied Pittsburgh.
“Pitt is a really quality, physical, tough basketball team and even though we got close, they were far superior than us on defense and rebounding,” Duquesne head coach Danny Nee said. “This is a great building to play in and the Panthers will definitely win a lot of ball games here.”
The Panther defense is usually the stingiest of the two teams on the court, but the Dukes shot 44 percent from the field in the first half while Pittsburgh shot a below-average 33 percent.
Pittsburgh picked it up in the second half and ended the game holding the Dukes to 40 percent from the field overall.
“We weren’t going to back down by any means,” Duquesne guard Brad Midgley said. “We came in to put pressure on them and win, so we can’t take any credit for a moral victory.”
Eventually, the bigger and stronger Panthers wore down the Dukes in the second half and it showed on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. The Panthers out-rebounded the Dukes 51-35.
“I thought Pitt was toying with us in the first half and then they turned it up a notch in the second half and ran away with the game,” Nee said. “For us to win tonight, the stars and the moon had to line up right.”
Four Pittsburgh players scored in double figures and were led by guard Julius Page, who led all scorers with 17, including 13 in the second half.
“We came out too excited and wanted to live up to our ranking, so I am just happy we won the game,” Page said. “After the first half was over, I knew I had to step up, so I became more aggressive in the second half.”
Point guard Brandin Knight scored 13 points and Donatas Zavackas and Carl Krauser each added 11 for the Panthers.
Krauser, who prides himself on defense, also pulled down 9 rebounds, which led both teams.
“We are an experienced team and we were able to regroup after having the jitters about the first game,” Knight said. “It was fun to play in the new arena and we definitely pressed too much in the first half, but I told the guys to keep holding your head up and relax, so we settled down in the second half.”
The Dukes were led by Midgley and Jimmy Tricco, who scored 13 each.
“I think Duquesne has a good team, much better than last year’s team,” Howland said. “They have some good players and they will win some games this year.”
Next up for the Panthers is St. Francis (Pa.) on Wednesday. They don’t start Big East Conference play until Jan. 6, when they host Notre Dame.
“I think we will definitely come out and play better as the season goes along,” Howland said. “Now that this first game is behind us, I don’t think we will be this anxious again this season.”