Marquette Hands Men's Basketball 77-74 Loss
3/27/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Marquette Hands Men's Basketball 77-74 Loss
3/27/2003
MINNEAPOLIS ? Pittsburgh?s 2002-03 season and 11-game win streak came to end as Marquette handed the Panthers a 77-74 loss in NCAA Sixteen play Thursday at the Metrodome. Pittsburgh?s season ended at 28-5, one game shy of the school record for wins. Marquette improves to 26-5 and advances to play Kentucky on Saturday.
Pittsburgh?s season-long 11-game win streak was snapped.
Dwayne Wade scored 20 of his game-high 22 points in the second half to pace Marquette. He hit 10 of 19 field goals in the game including nine of 14 shots in the second half. Scott Merritt added 17 points including four free throw down the stretch and Robert Jackson 16 for the Golden Eagles.
For Pittsburgh, Brandin Knight notched his eighth career double-double in leading the Panthers in both points (16) and assists (11). His 11 assists were a season-high.
Pittsburgh trailed by as many as 11 points in the second half but battled back in the final 4:00.
Trailing 71-61 with 3:56 to go, Pittsburgh went on a 9-0 run. A Chevon Troutman layup off a Brandin Knight pass cut the deficit to one point at 71-70 with 1:28 to go.
Marquette sustained its lead with two Scott Merritt free throws but Pitt?s Brandin Knight answered with a layup. On the next possession, Marquette?s Dwayne Wade drove through the lane for a layup and Brandin Knight followed with two free throws for a 75-74 MU lead. After Merritt hit two more free throws for a 77-74 Marquette lead, Knight drove the full-length of the floor and launched a three-pointer at the top of the key. The ball bounced off the rim.
Pittsburgh shot 52.7 percent in the game but allowed 51.9 percent shooting. Marquette?s 77 points were the most scored against Pittsburgh over the season?s last 23 games.
Pittsburgh and Marquette ended the first half tied at 34-34.
GAME NOTES
*Pittsburgh concludes its season at 28-5 overall, one victory shy of the school?s season wins record of 29 set last year in 2001-02.
*The careers of Brandin Knight, Ontario Lett and Donatas Zavackas ended with the loss.
*Pittsburgh?s 11-game win streak came to an end. The win streak was the nation?s second longest current string.
*Brandin Knight finished with his eighth career double-double (16 points/season-high 11 assists). His 11 assists gave him 785 career assists. He surpassed his brother Brevin Knight (Stanford) for 25th place on the NCAA all-time career assists list.
*Jaron Brown notched his 15th double figure scoring contest in his last 17 games.
*The loss dropped Pittsburgh to 12-16 all-time in NCAA Tournament contests.
*Marquette?s 77 points were most points scored against Pittsburgh in its last 23 games and second-most points yielded by Pittsburgh this season. Georgia scored 79 points in handing Pitt a 79-67 loss on Dec. 31. Previously, Pittsburgh held six of its last seven opponents under 60 points.
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