Pitt finds scoring, first Big East win
WASHINGTON (AP) – Talib Zanna scored 15 points, and Pitt rediscovered its shooting touch Tuesday night, hitting 55 percent from the field in a 73-45 win over No. 19 Georgetown.
Zanna went 7 for 9 from the field, Tray Woodall added 11 points and seven assists for the Panthers (1-2, 13-3), who dominated the Hoyas from the opening tip to bounce back from two Big East losses that knocked them out of the Top 25.
No player scored in double figures for the punchless Hoyas (0-2, 10-3), who shot 35 percent to lose by more than 20 points at home for the first time in 13 years. They have lost their first two Big East games for the first time since 2001-02.
Georgetown has failed to score at least 50 points four times this season, including a 49-48 loss at Marquette Saturday.
The Panthers got their second biggest road win in Big East history by beating the Hoyas inside and out, scoring 18 points in the paint and making 4 of 5 3-point attempts while building a 37-22 halftime lead. Pitt also had big advantages in rebounding (15-9) and assists (11-3) in the first half.
Georgetown had four turnovers from three players during a 90-second stretch in the first half. At the other end, Durand Johnson was hitting a 3-pointer, Dante Taylor was putting away a dunk, and Cameron Wright was converting a fast-break layup to make the score 14-4.
The Panthers didn’t slack off in the second half, pushing the lead higher and higher and having fun with alley-oop passes in transition even as the frustration continued to mount for the Hoyas. Georgetown coach John Thompson III drew a technical – his first since March 2007 – for a bout of extended fury when Nate Lubick was called for a foul in the second half.
By the end of the game, Georgetown’s home court reverberated with chants of “Let’s go, Pitt!” Georgetown finished with more turnovers (17) than field goals (13), and lost by 20 points at home for the first time since a 77-54 rout by Notre Dame on March 4, 2000.