I’ve spent the day watching basketball and even the minor football bowls — Big East presently 1-0 — all day. Florida impressed the hell out of me today. UCLA was no surprise — only the level of the ass-whoopin they put on Michigan. I wished evil things on NC State as they fumbled the ball away to Cinci — Trevor Ferguson got major playing time in his second game with eligibility. Sorry, maybe he doesn’t mean much, but I hate some kid claim homesicknesses to go back to Florida then turn around and take advantage of the Pitt coaches cutting him slack, and then going to NC State. Clearly it was really about realizing where he wasn’t going to get immediate playing time.

Now, I’m settling in with my Stone Brewing Double Bastard IPA. Going to watch the game and posting thoughts throughout.

Gray misses the easy putback and then fouls inside the first minute. Ergh.

Fields in transition all the way, no call with the contact.

Dayton answers. Damn.

Fields for 3 with assist from Graves. Nice. Just as the shot clock was getting inside 3.

Dayton is doing what it can to bring Gray out to the perimeter, but the Pitt defense is up on intensity. Really trying to get to the ball.

Fields steals back the turnover to score 9-2. He is looking Krauser-esque (in a good way) early.

Roberts drains a deep 3. Nothing to do.

Gray answers with a rim-rattler. 11-2. 15:25

Does anyone else think that Kendall has the thought, “I can’t do anything right,” at this point. He fumbles the ball inside, then falls over on the turnover and picks up a foul. His whole body language looks bad. 11-8 Pitt, 14:34.

Ramon drains open 3 at top of key on kick-out. 14-8.

Dayton’s Johnson answers in corner. 14-11.

11:59, 14-13 Pitt. Stagnant, and suddenly sluggish after an initial burst. Seems like a hangover effect early.

Roberts is just hot. He shot a deep, open 3 to tie the game at 16. 4-4 for Dayton on 3s (Roberts 3-3) — they shoot 34% on the season.

Fields penetrates and 1 (but misses). 20-16 Pitt, 9:26. Fields already has 9 points. The commentators just said that they’ll be talking to Krauser during this game. Cool.

Fields hits a 3. 22-16

Roberts for Dayton hits 2 — he’s got 11.

Fields from the foul line good. 24-18.

Cook off of transition goes plus 1 — after the TV TO. 7:44

Cook adds it. 27-18.

7:05 draws the foul, as the Flyers couldn’t afford to risk him shoot anything uncontested. 0-1, 7:05, then Biggs stepped in the lane too soon. Dumb.

No box out by Gray allowed Dayton a tough put-back. 27-20.

Biggs on a feed inside +1. Good. 30-20. 5:55.
Fields errant pass leads coast-to-coast score 30-22.

Oooh. Gray is getting banged inside, then called for over the back. His second. 4:46.

Cook to Graves. 32-22. Then Pitt forces another turnover.

Young follows his own miss. 34-22. Pitt is on an 18-6 run.

Dayton in foul issues. Marcus Johnson has 3 fouls. Sandoval and Huelsman each have 2.

Young 1-2 on FTs. 35-22.

Cook gets pulled after he didn’t share on a 3-1 break and Pitt blew the opportunity. 3:22 left.

Young easily inside. 37-22.

2:12 Young inside again +1 (miss). 39-22. 23-6 run by Pitt.

Young commits a late foul to allow the score, then tries to amend for it taking it inside again, but turns it over. He gets pulled for Cook with 1:42.

Tip-back by Cook being left alone. 41-26.

That’s the 1st half. Pitt leading 41-26. Pitt ended up going small and really taking it inside on Dayton. The refs are not what I like, but they let you penetrate and Pitt adjusted to that.

Pitt holds a 22-12 rebounding advantage. 17-31 shooting with 10 assists by Pitt. Dayton only 9-25. The only real negative from the early box score was Pitt had 8 turnovers in the half (of course Dayton had 9).

Start of the second half.

Oh, my. Kendall hits a short jumper. 43-26.

Roberts answers with a baseline move.

Baseline jumper from Graves. 45-28.

Gray has 10 rebounds but only 2 points. Gray is getting cracked in the back, without any calls.

Graves fouled inside. 1-2. 46-28, 17:21.

Cook on the run out with the long rebound. 48-28, 16:49.

The Flyers just don’t have the size or the scoring. Dayton only shoots 44% normally. Right now, they are 10-29.

Nice number Bench scoring: 16-0 Pitt over Dayton.

15:19, Gray hacked. 1-2 FT. 49-30.

Seeing a fair amount of Ramon and Fields today.

Gray putback shot. 51-30.

Roberts off of a screen hits a 3. 51-33. Roberts has been the only one keeping Dayton from being absolutely run out of the gym.

Ramon with a baseline jumper. 53-35.

Biggs used his body and position to grab a nice defensive rebound. Kendall has at least done a good job of being in position to get rebounds. Then just added a score from Ramon. 55-35. 12:18.

Sam Young all alone under the basket. 57-35.

Biggs goes strong inside gets the basket +1. I think the coaching staff had some words with him after the last game. 60-37.

What was Biggs doing shooting a 3? 9:23 left. No shock that Biggs then comes out at that point.

Young rattles home an open 3 on a cross-court pass. 63-42. Under 8 minutes.

Young from Fields baseline penatration +1 (good). 66-44, 7:13.

Young has a career high of 18 points.

Gray with a pass to a cutting Biggs for the Baseline slam.

Cook strips and lays-it in. 72-47. 5:27 left and Dayton takes a TO.

Everyone is going to play for Pitt tonight (except, for Doyle Hudson).
Benjamin on the runout, gets the slam and is fouled. 5:04, 75-49.

Nine Pitt players with over 10 minutes of game time play.

Hey, Hudson in the game with 4:29 left.

Hudson scores. 77-49.

Gilbert Brown also in the game. Huh? I said before I thought the redshirt was going to have to come off of him, but to play him in this game? At this point?

The wife just gave me a look after the latest — I lost track — inane comment from Perry Clark on the color commentary. All I could do was shrug and ask, “can you telll he’s an ex-coach?”

Scrubs in there with Ramon trying to keep them in check for Pitt. Ramon says, “eff it” and its a 3 80-53 just over 2 minutes.

Gilbert Brown hits a jumper and his first FG of his career. 82-53, 1:26 left.

The Walk-ons are now on the court for Pitt. 1:16.

Rizk mugs a Flyer.

Polen gets a bucket. He also adds a rebound and block.

84-54 Final.

Pitt absolutely dominated in a methodical game. No great moment of blowing out to put it out of reach. Just slow, steady domination that put it away.