University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
Rutgers
Panthers Pound Rutgers, 78-59
2/21/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 21, 2002
PITTSBURGH (AP) - The only thing glitzy about the Pittsburgh Panthers is their record.
Donatas Zavackas scored 19 points, and No. 11 Pittsburgh beat Rutgers 78-59 Thursday night for its fifth consecutive victory.
Brandin Knight added 13 points and eight assists for the Panthers (23-4, 11-3 Big East), who have won eight of nine and are off to their best start since the 1973-74 team went 25-4. Pittsburgh owns the best record in the Big East.
"That's for people to talk about and us to play," Zavackas said.
Pittsburgh relies on solid, old-fashioned fundamentals - the kind that impress coaches more than those who choose television highlights.
"Defense and rebounding," coach Ben Howland said. "The two staples we depend on."
He could have mentioned balance, too. Howland rotates his big men, Torree Morris and Ontario Lett, keeping them both effective. The Panthers also got some key contributions from reserve players.
"They dominated us physically," Rutgers coach Gary Waters said. "Before we knew it, we were out of it."
Knight made only five of 13 shots and two of nine free throws. He also matched his season high with seven turnovers. Knight was coming off a 29-point performance against West Virginia that helped him earn conference player of the week honors.
Knight hit a 3-pointer to open the second half and give the Panthers a 38-23 lead. Rutgers answered with 11 consecutive points, aided by four Pittsburgh turnovers.
The Panthers then adjusted to the Scarlet Knights' full-court pressure and started getting easy layups. They opened the second half by making 13 of 16 shots and shot 70 percent (19-of-27) in the half.
"They didn't exploit the press, we didn't execute right," Waters said. "We didn't have people in the right places. The second half was our fault. We made bad decisions."
Julius Page and Lett each scored 10 points for the Panthers, who held a 46-29 edge in rebounds. Chevon Troutman led Pittsburgh with seven boards in just 13 minutes.
Mike Sherrod led Rutgers with 11 points, and Ricky Shields and Juel Wiggan added 10 each. Jerome Coleman, who entered averaging 16.7 points, was held to eight, matching his third-lowest total of the season.
Rutgers (17-9, 7-6) had a three-game winning streak snapped in falling to 2-6 on the road.
"I don't know what it is that keeps us like this on the road," Coleman said. "We have to figure that out among ourselves."
