University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
West Virginia
Pittsburgh Takes Care Of West Virginia
1/31/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 31, 2001
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Donatas Zavackas had 17 points, including 3 3-pointers, and Ricardo Greer had 15 points, mostly off fast breaks that resulted from turnovers, as Pittsburgh beat West Virginia 63-46 Wednesday night.
West Virginia (12-6, 3-4 Big East) was able to whittle Pittsburgh's 32-24 halftime lead to just 35-31 early in the first half by doing the only thing the Mountaineers seemed to do well - working the ball inside twice to Calvin Bowman. Bowman finished with 18 points, the only Mountaineer in double figures.
But it wasn't long before Pittsburgh (12-7, 4-4) took control of the game off of Mountaineer turnovers.
After Zavackas put the Panthers up 37-31, Greer scored off an inbounds pass following a turnover. The teams traded baskets then Greer stole a pass starting a fast break he finished with a layup off a pass from Jaron Brown.
Pittsburgh increased their lead to 15 with 12:22 left in the game on a 3-pointer by Zavackas, prompting West Virginia Head Coach Gale Catlett to call a time-out.
That did little to settle down West Virginia which turned the ball over twice in a row, both leading to scores by Greer off the fast break to give Pittsburgh its largest lead of the game to that point, 54-34, with 11:14 left.
West Virginia finished the game with 23 turnovers to just 12 for Pittsburgh which led by at least 15 points the rest of the way.
