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Pitt Ends Hoyas' Streak

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A Tribune staff, wire report

Published: January 4, 2009

WASHINGTON - Fourteen games into the season, No. 3 Pittsburgh took its first major test and passed it with plenty to spare - thanks to the inside muscle of DeJuan Blair.

Blair had 20 points and 17 rebounds to win his duel with Georgetown standout freshman Greg Monroe, and the Panthers never trailed in Saturday's 70-54 win over the No. 11 Hoyas.

In a rematch of the past two Big East Tournament championship games, Pittsburgh (14-0, 2-0 Big East) broke open a close contest with a 17-4 run midway through the second half.

DaJuan Summers scored 22 points to lead Georgetown, single-handedly keeping his team in the game in the first half. Monroe added 15 points for the Hoyas (10-2, 1-1), who were dealt a sobering reality check five days after their road upset of No. 2 Connecticut.

NO. 2 CONNECTICUT 80,

RUTGERS 49

STORRS, Conn. - Hasheem Thabeet led a balanced Connecticut attack with 15 points and eight rebounds, and the second-ranked Huskies (12-1, 1-1 Big East) snapped back from their first loss of the season with a win over Rutgers (9-6, 0-2).

NO. 4 OKLAHOMA 93,

COPPIN ST. 62

NORMAN, Okla. - Tony Crocker scored 20 points to lead No. 4 Oklahoma to victory over Coppin State.

Crocker hit five 3-pointers, including four in the opening half when the Sooners (13-1) raced out to leads of 20-6 and 34-13 over the Eagles (2-11).

NO. 6 WAKE FOREST 94,

BYU 87

PROVO, Utah - No. 6 Wake Forest (13-0) ended the nation's longest home winning streak by beating BYU (11-2).

The Cougars had won 53 straight dating to a loss to Loyola-Marymount to open the 2005-06 season.

ST. JOHN'S 71,

NO. 7 NOTRE DAME 65

NEW YORK - D. J. Kennedy scored 20 points, including four free throws in the final 15 seconds, and had 10 rebounds to send St. John's (10-4, 1-1 Big East) past No. 7 Notre Dame (10-3, 1-1).

The Red Storm snapped their three-game losing streak by holding Notre Dame to one of its worst 3-point shooting games of the season (4-for-17), including a 1-for-5 effort from long-range specialist Kyle McAlarney.

NO. 10 MICHIGAN STATE 77,

NORTHWESTERN 66

EVANSTON, Ill. - Raymar Morgan scored 22 points and grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds to lead No. 10 Michigan State (11-2, 2-0 Big Ten) to victory over Northwestern (8-4, 0-2) and the Spartans' seventh straight win.

NO. 20 CLEMSON 79,

EAST CAROLINA 66

CLEMSON, S.C. - Sophomore reserve Jerai Grant had a career-high 14 points and No. 20 Clemson improved to 14-0 for the second time in three years with a victory over East Carolina (8-5).

NO. 21 MINNESOTA 68,

NO. 24 OHIO STATE 59

MINNEAPOLIS - Lawrence Westbrook led a typically balanced Minnesota offense with 15 points, and the 21st-ranked Gophers (13-1, 1-1) salvaged a split in the opening week of Big Ten play by beating 24th-ranked Ohio State (10-2, 1-1).

NO. 22 XAVIER 84,

VIRGINIA 70

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - B.J. Raymond scored 24 points and hit four of No. 22 Xavier's nine 3-pointers, and the Musketeers (11-2) took a big early lead before beating Virginia (6-5).

NO. 25 BUTLER 75,

VALPARAISO 62

VALPARAISO, Ind. - Matt Howard scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half and Willie Veasley had a career-high 15 points to lead No. 25 Butler (12-1, 3-0 Horizon League) to victory over Valparaiso (4-10, 1-2).

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN 65,

TAMPA 61

TAMPA - Nova Southeastern scored the final five points of the game as the Sharks pulled out a win in a back-and-forth game against Tampa.

The game saw 12 lead changes, with neither side leading by more than six points. Tampa (6-4, 0-1 SSC) was led by Fred Woods, who had 16 points and 11 rebounds. Dionte Perry had 17 points to lead NSU (7-3, 2-0).

BARRY 59, ECKERD 57

ST. PETERSBURG - Barry's Karega Tucker scored 18 points, including the game-winning bucket with 6.5 seconds remaining, as the Buccaneers (6-6, 1-1 SSC) edged Eckerd (7-5, 0-2).

SOUTH FLORIDA: Former Ohio State point guard Anthony Crater is transferring to the University of South Florida. Crater, who attended Friday's USF-Syracuse game, is scheduled to begin classes at USF on Monday.

The 6-foot-1 Crater played in 10 games this year as a true freshman with the Buckeyes, averaging 13.1 minutes and 1.2 points. He will be eligible at USF next December and would have 31/2 years of eligibility.

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