Post-Game Notes

Jan. 10, 2008

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PITT-SOUTH FLORIDA POST-GAME NOTES

*The game was Pitt's second Big East Conference contest of the season. For the first time since the 1995-96 season, Pitt opens Big East play on the road in consecutive games: at Villanova (Jan. 6) and at South Florida (Jan. 9).

*The game marked Pitt Head Coach Jamie Dixon's 150^th career game. Dixon improved to 118-32 overall and 46-20 in Big East play in his five-year head coaching career. Amazingly, Dixon has lost back-to-back games only five times in his five-year career.

*No. 20 ranked Pitt improved to 13-2 overall and 1-1 in Big East play.

*With his team-high 22 points this evening, Sam Young scored over 20 points for the sixth time in his career. He reached double figure scoring for the 15^th time this season and 43^rdtime in his career. He has now notched double figure scoring games in 23 of his last 26 games played. Young has led Pitt in scoring in eight of Pitt's 15 games played.

*With his 20-point, 8-12 field goal and 3-5 3-point performance, Keith Benjamin tied a career scoring high, matching his 20 points scored vs. Lafayette on Jan. 2, 2008 and set career-highs for field goals made (8), field goal attempts (12) and minutes played (37). Benjamin reached double figure scoring for the third consecutive game. Over the last three games and three consecutive starts, Benjamin has scored 55 points (18.3 ppg.) while converting 70 percent (21-30) of his field goal attempts. He has also hit 57.1 percent (8-14) of his 3-point attempts. The 20 points marked his 12^th career double figure scoring game. Benjamin has also averaged 34.0 minutes played per game during that stretch.

*Freshman Gary McGhee set career-highs in a variety of statistics: minutes played (12), points scored (6), field goals made (3), field goal attempts (5) and rebounds (4). After DeJuan Blair and Sam Young both picked up their second fouls, McGhee came on to play 12 minutes in the first half. He began with a dunk. It was the fifth game played of his career.

*With his 10 points, Gilbert Brown reached double figure scoring for the fourth consecutive game and fifth time in his career. He made his fourth consecutive start for Pitt and matched his career-high for assists with four.

*With his 12 points and nine rebounds, DeJuan Blair notched his eighth career double figure scoring game.

*Senior walk-on Maurice Polen was awarded an academic scholarship earlier in the week.

*Since injuries to Levance Fields and Mike Cook, Pitt is 2-1. Since the injuries, Pitt has shot 55.2 percent (91-165), hit 53.5 percent of its three-pointers (23-43) and scored 79.3 points per game.\

*Pitt improved to 3-2 on the road this season. Pitt is now 11-5 on the road combining each of its last two seasons (8-3 in 2006-07).

*Pitt improved to 2-2 all-time vs. South Florida. It was the first time Pitt traveled to South Florida since the Bulls entered the Big East Conference in 2005-06. The game marked the first time Pitt played at South Florida since the 1975 season.

*The win improved Pitt to 11-4 vs. Big East Conference teams added in 2005-06: Cincinnati (2-0), DePaul (2-0), Louisville (3-1), Marquette (2-3), South Florida (2-0).

*Pitt Head Coach Jamie Dixon improved to 2-0 vs. South Florida.

*Pitt held South Florida to 66 points on the evening. It has limited 12 of its first 15 opponents to 70 points or less. Furthermore, since Jamie Dixon became head coach Pitt has held 124 of its 150 opponents under 70 points. Additionally, it has held 53 of its last 66 Big East opponents under 70 points.

*Pitt outrebounded South Florida 36-32. It has now outrebounded 12 of its 15 opponents this season and is 11-1 when outrebounding its opponent.