In a game that seemed, at times, extremely similar to the game these two teams played a month ago, Pitt again prevailed 66-58.
The play calling crew is familiar for Big East tournament time, Sean McDonough and Len Elmore. I like them.
The game got off to a slow start. It took a minute and a half before there was a score. Chris Thomas, who had been struggling, hit a 3-pointer. He sank another one a couple minutes later, and ND was up 8-2. You quickly realize that ND is a real perimeter team. Torin Francis is their only inside presence. If Thomas struggles then you understand why they have lost so many games. They need Thomas and Quinn to be on, or they are in trouble.
The Irish are on a fast start. They go up 15-2, more than 5 minutes into the first half. Pitt is struggling with their shots. Taft is getting exposed for his youth on the offensive boards. If he gets the ball, he fails to look at passing the ball out to reset the offense. Instead, he seems determined to make a shot regardless of how far out of position or how bad a shot it is.
After going down by 13, Pitt starts to assert itself. ND got off to a hot start. Thomas went 3-3 for 9 points, but stopped taking many shots. He’s been in a slump and he seemed afraid to demand the ball. This worked against ND, because the previously hot Chris Quinn, couldn’t buy a basket. Quinn’s only points in the game, came from the charity stripe. He was 0-8 in total. ND can only win if Thomas and Quinn are scoring. With Quinn completely frozen, and Thomas afraid to push Pitt was allowed back in the game.
So despite going 6-13 from 3-point land in the first half, ND only led 32-26. Pitt was clearly outrebounded in the first half. A bright spot for Pitt, was that Julius Page, who has been slumping all season long, had 9 points on 4-7 shooting.
During the first half, Len Elmore listed his “All Big East Team.” Not really a surprise that Pitt didn’t have a player listed. It was:
Barrett — Seton Hall
Matthew — Va. Tech
Okafor — UConn
Warrick — Syracuse
Gomes — Providence
The first half was frustrating to watch as a Pitt fan. Pitt was too willing to play the perimeter game. Exchange 3-point shots. Pitt has to take the ball inside and bang the ND players. Physically wear them down. That is, literally, Pitt’s strength. They are not finesse or an outside shooting team. Pitt pushes, claws and scrapes inside for baskets. Inflicting punishment off the boards.
The second half starts with things immediately going Pitt’s way. ND’s center, Torin Francis is done with “back problems.” That completely removes most of ND’s interior offense.
The other big difference about the second half, is that the refs have decided to call a much tighter game. There were only 2 Free Throws in the first half (both missed by Troutman). The second half had 30 attempts in total.
At 17:11 Pitt takes its first lead of the night, 35-34. The Irish are starting to look frustrated at the defense and the missed shots. The losses in 3 of their last 4 are taking their toll. A sense of desperation can be seen on the players. 7 minutes into the second half and Pitt has gone on a 17-4 run to put the lead at 43-36. Notre Dame is noticeably extending its defense to keep Pitt from taking the outside or mid-range shots.
McDonough notes that ND is starting to wear down. That most of their starters are still in the game. Unlike Pitt, apparently, ND is not used to most of its starters logging minutes much over 30.
With the refs calling the second half, very tightly, Jaron Brown actually reaches 4 fouls and goes to the bench at the 9:56 mark. Pitt is up 47-39. The game has gotten, to use hockey vernacular, “chippy.” Both coaches are giving the refs an earful, and McDonough seems annoyed with the refs getting so involved in the game.
Comments that stood out from McDonough after the halfway point:
“… the refs are just looking for things to call… [they] are determined to inject themselves into the game.”
Amusingly enough, after a time out and a chance to look at the replay where Jordan Cornette committed a foul by trying to grab/tackle Krauser by the ankle, they he was forced to admit they called that one correctly.
At 7:45, Pitt leads 51-41
For Notre Dame, Chris Thomas is a great player, offensively. It’s his defense that kills the team. He is very much the ole style of defender.
Notre Dame tries to make a run near the end, but it falls far short. Pitt makes enough free throws, and ND can’t score enough.
Pitt just plain wore out the Irish.
Looking over the box score.
Page had a much needed good game. He had 17 points and shot better than 50%. Krauser had 19, Brown with 11, Troutman with 9 and Taft with 6. Once again, no dominating Pitt player, just that team effort that keeps the opposition from trying to shut down just one guy.
It’s a beautiful thing.
