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USF Has No Answer For Pitt
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Published: January 10, 2008
TAMPA - University of South Florida coach Stan Heath is discovering what his predecessors learned through their years on Fowler Avenue. The Bulls against a ranked team is not a good thing.
Even playing without two starters, No. 20 Pittsburgh was still too much for the Bulls, pulling away for a 79-66 victory Wednesday night.
"It's not acceptable to give up that percentage in our house," Heath said of Pittsburgh's 53 percent shooting. "It was a tough game. We didn't have an answer."
The Bulls (10-6, 1-2 Big East) hoped to use a nationally televised ESPN2 upset of Pitt (13-2, 1-1) as a springboard toward achieving a rare postseason bid. Instead, USF lost for the 44th time in its last 48 games against ranked opponents and fell to 8-70 all-time.
Heath said that when the Bulls arrive for practice today, he might take the rims down and have them just work on defense. He even suggested he might dress the team in football gear, a tactic he's familiar with from his days as a Michigan State assistant.
"We haven't put the football pads on yet," Heath said. "We probably need to do that today. I don't know if we will. I'm going to watch the tape."
What Heath will see was a tie game at 22 with 7:40 remaining in the first half when Pitt took control.
The Panthers led 40-33 at the half. With 12 minutes remaining in the game, USF closed within 57-52 and Solomon Bozeman had a wide-open 3-pointer to cut the margin to two, but it rattled out - his 31st miss in his last 33 3-point attempts - and the Panthers converted on a 3-on-1 break, pushing the lead back to seven.
The final blow came with 7:46 remaining when Pittsburgh missed and rebounded three consecutive shots before DeJuan Blair scored inside on the fourth attempt while being fouled. His 3-point play and Sam Young's 3-point basket after a USF turnover pushed the margin to double digits and sent a good portion of the announced crowd of 6,027 to the Sun Dome exits.
"I challenged my guys: 'They're in a rhythm, let's jam 'em, let's smack 'em in the face,'" Heath said. "Let's just not let them keep going. Intensity and toughness-wise, we needed to make it more challenging."
USF senior Kentrell Gransberry had a career-high tying 26 points, along with 11 rebounds. Jesus Verdejo added 17 points and Dominique Jones 13 points. The trio scored all but 10 of USF's 66 points.
USF's bench was 1-for-11 from the field with only four points.
"We have to match their intensity," Gransberry said. "We have to play better and play smarter."
Young (22 points) and Keith Benjamin (20 points) paced the Panthers, who were playing without injured starters Levance Fields and Mike Cook.
After Young and Blair went to the bench early in the first half in foul trouble, freshman Gary McGhee bailed out Pitt. McGhee, who had only three points this season, scored six in the first 10 minutes.
"I don't think we even had him on the scouting report," Heath said.
USF point guard Chris Howard (four points, three assists) left in the second half with cramps, Heath said. He did not return.
"I think as the year goes on people will see how good a win this was because this is a very good team," Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon said. "They're much improved. This is a team that's much better and will continue to get better."
Starting today, Heath hopes, so the Bulls better be ready to strap on the football pads.
"We have to put this behind us and move forward," Heath said. "Pittsburgh showed why they're a Top 20 team tonight."
INSIDE THE GAME
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Senior C Kentrell Gransberry (26 points, 11 rebounds) was USF's only presence inside.
STAT OF THE GAME: In the first half, Gransberry, Dominique Jones and Jesus Verdejo were a combined 11 of 17. The rest of the Bulls were 0-for-8.
TURNING POINT: DeJuan Blair's 3-point play with 7:48 remaining keyed a 10-0 Pitt run, giving the Panthers a 73-56 cushion with four minutes left.
UP NEXT: USF visits Providence on Saturday.
Reporter Brett McMurphy can be reached at (813) 259-7928 or bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com.
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