Post-Game Notes

Feb. 21, 2008

PITT-NOTRE DAME POST-GAME NOTES

*Pitt dropped to 19-7 overall and 7-6 in Big East play. Pitt has five games remaining: vs. Louisville (Sunday, Feb. 24), vs. Cincinnati (Feb. 27), at Syracuse (March 1), at West Virginia (March 3) and vs. DePaul (March 9).

*Pitt lost back-to-back games for only the sixth time in the Jamie Dixon Era. The last time Pitt dropped back-to-back games was at Wisconsin and vs. Oklahoma State in 2006. Dixon dropped to 20-8 all-time after losing a game.

*Notre Dame's win snapped Pitt's five-game win streak in the series. Additionally, Pitt won each of the last two meetings at the Joyce Center. The all-time series is deadlocked at 26-26 but the Panthers have claimed six of the last eight meetings. Pitt also fell to 9-15 all-time in games played in South Bend.

*Notre Dame won its 35^th consecutive home game.

*Sam Young scored 20 or more points for the 12^th time in his career and 10^th time this season. Young has reached double figures in 33 of his last 36 games and in 25 of Pitt's 26 games this year. Young now needs just seven more points to become the 34^th player in school history to surpass the 1,000-point mark for his career. He currently has 994 career points.

*With his 14 points and 13 rebounds, DeJuan Blair registered his 10^th double-double of the season. His eight offensive rebounds on the evening rank tied for the third all-time best mark for a freshman in school history. Earlier this year, Blair grabbed the school-record 10 offensive rebounds vs. Houston Baptist and nine offensive rebounds at Connecticut.

*Keith Benjamin finished the game with 15 points and hit three 3-pointers. It marked his 19^th career double figure scoring game and 12^th double figure scoring game of his career.

*Levance Fields played in 25 minutes, scored 10 points and dished out five assists. It was his second appearance back after fracturing his fifth metatarsal in his left foot. He played 20 minutes at Marquette on Feb. 15.

*The 12-point loss represented Pitt's second largest loss in a Big East regular season road game during the Jamie Dixon Era. Prior to the last two games, an 18-point deficit at Marquette, Dixon's largest loss was an eight-point loss at Georgetown (61-53 on Feb. 24, 2007).

*The 12-point loss was uncharacteristic of Dixon-coached teams. In Dixon's 161 games and 37 losses as head coach at Pitt, the Panthers have lost only eight games by more than 10 points. Four of those losses have come this season: 13-point loss to Rutgers, 25-point loss at Dayton, 18-point loss at Marquette and 12-point loss at Notre Dame.

*Under Dixon, Pitt dropped to 22-17 in Big East regular season road games. The Panthers have won 12 of its last 21 road games.

*Pitt was outrebounded 45-37 on the evening. The contest marked just the seventh time in 26 games that the Panthers were outrebounded. Pitt fell to 1-6 when outrebounded.

*Notre Dame's 82 points were the most points scored against Pitt this season. On the season, Pitt has limited 20 of its 26 opponents to 70 points or less.

*Notre Dame's 45 rebounds represented an opponent game-high. Previously, the most rebounds for an opponent this season was 41 at Dayton.

University of Pittsburgh Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Keith Benjamin

DeJuan Blair

Levance Fields

Sam Young

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