West Virginia-Pitt Post-Game Notes

March 10, 2006

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PITT VS. WEST VIRGINIA POST GAME NOTES

*Pitt improved to 23-6 overall on the year. The 23 victories rank as the seventh-best win total in school history.

*The victory sets up a semifinal matchup against No. 2 seed Villanova. Pitt and Villanova did not meet in the regular season this year.

*Pitt advances to the Big East Championship semifinal round for the fifth time in the last six years.

*The win Pitt improves to 8-9 all-time in Big East Championship quarterfinal games. Pitt also improved to 18-22 all-time in the Big East Championship. The Panthers enter their semifinal game against Villanova with a 4-3 record in BEC semifinal meetings.

*Pitt defeated Louisville for the second time this year. Pitt defeated Louisville 61-57 on Jan. 15. The Panthers are now 2-1 all-time vs. the Cardinals.

*With 19 points and 15 rebounds, Aaron Gray notched his 16^th double-double of the year. It was also his third consecutive double-double as he has now registered three straight double-doubles four different times this year. With his Big East leading 16^th double-double, Gray now ranks sixth among the school's all-time season double-doubles leaders. The school record is 26 double-doubles in a season by Jerome Lane in 1986-87. Named the 2005-06 Big East Most Improved Player, Gray also registered his 24^th double figure scoring game and 18^th double figure rebounding game on the year.

*Aaron Gray tied a career-high with nine offensive rebounds vs. West Virginia.

*Freshman Sam Young made his first career start and finished with a double-double (14 points/career-high 13 rebounds) in a career-high 32 minutes.

*Two players notched double-doubles for Pitt: Aaron Gray and Sam Young. That is the second time this year that two players finished with double-doubles. The last time was against Notre Dame on Jan. 4 when Gray (25 points, 11 rebounds) and Young (15 points, 12 rebounds) both notched double-doubles.

*Carl Krauser finished with 10 points and six assists. He moved into fourth place on Pitt's all-time Big East Championship career scoring list with 109 points and moved into third place on the school's assist list with 31 career assists.

*Junior Levon Kendall sat out the game with lower back spasms. His status for Friday's Villanova game will be a game-time decision.

*Pitt outrebounded West Virginia 44-25. The plus-19 rebound margin tied for its second largest of the season. Pitt notched a plus-21 rebound margin vs. Auburn on Dec. 4 and a plus-19 vs. Coppin State earlier this year. Pitt has now outrebounded its opponents in 22 of 30 games on the year.

*Pitt improved to 4-0 in games played at 9 p.m. The Panthers defeated DePaul on Jan. 12 (73-65), West Virginia (57-53) on Feb. 9, Louisville (61-56) on March 8 and now West Virginia. Pitt plays its third straight 9 p.m. game.

*Pitt improved to 14-6 at Madison Square Garden since the 2001-02 season. Prior to its two Big East Championship games this year, Pitt had lost four of its last five games at the Garden.

*Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon won his 74^th career game. He now ranks tied for sixh among NCAA Division I coaches after three years as a head coach.

*Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon's sister Maggie Dixon led her Army squad to the Patriot League Championship and automatic NCAA Tournament berth yesterday with a 69-68 victory over Holy Cross. Following the win a wild victory celebration ensued as cadets stormed the floor and carried Dixon around the court. The scene ranked as ESPN's No. 8 Play of the Day. Army is now 20-10 on the year. The Dixons will become the first sibling duo to coach in NCAA Tournaments at the same time. Maggie Dixon was in attendance at the game.

University of Pittsburgh Athletics

West Virginia-Pitt Post-Game Notes

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Players Mentioned

Aaron Gray

Levon Kendall

Carl Krauser

Sam Young

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