Ashton's Acrobatic Answer

Ashton Gibbs sunk a 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds left in regulation to lift the Pittsburgh Panthers over Providence at Petersen Events Center Thursday night. The 17th ranked Panthers pulled out a 73-71 victory to improve their Big East record to 12-5 and secure a double bye in next week’s tournament. Gilbert Brown dished an inbound pass to Gibbs, who drilled the game-winning 25 foot shot as time expired. The sophomore guard led all scorers with 25 points, and made six from downtown against the Friars.
Jamine Peterson, at 6’9”, netted 24 points and 18 rebounds for 12-17 Providence. The Friar forward recorded his Big East best 15th double-double of the season. The Friars are losers of nine straight games. The Panthers have won seven of their past eight contests and are 16-1 at home under coach, Jamie Dixon this season. Dixon’s team played a sloppy game throughout the first three quarters but rallied to tie the score in the fourth. The visitors trailed by four points at the half after scoring the last five points of the stanza. Pitt committed 15 turnovers and allowed Providence to shoot 45% from the field in the second half. The Panthers shot just 30% from the free throw line and 42% from long range. Providence executed an impressive 7-0 run in the second half to tie the game at 44-44. Marshon Brooks’ dunk gave the Friars their first lead of the second half with less than 12 minutes to play. The Friars’ Sharaud Curry added 16 points and Brooks chipped in 13. Providence is ranked 15th in the Big East and has one of the worst scoring defenses in the nation. Providence, losers of 18 of their last 21 at Pittsburgh, failed to hold a five point lead with seven minutes remaining.
Twenty-three win Pitt trimmed the lead to twice take over in the final five minutes. The lead changed hands five times in the game’s final four and a half minutes. Brad Wanamaker nipped a bucket from the arc with 4:16 remaining to give the Panthers a 66-65 edge. Wanamaker finished with 13 assists. Providence recaptured the lead they relinquished on a Brian McKenzie jumper. Wanamaker answered with a jumper off his own to vault the Panthers back into the lead, but Peterson tied the game at 68-68 with a free throw at 2:22. Jermaine Dixon scored a career high 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for Pitt. Dixon’s basket with 40 seconds remaining gave the Panthers a two point edge. Curry notched two free throws with five ticks on the clock. McKenzie responded to a Jermaine Dixon foul seconds later by hitting one of two from the line. Providence held a 71-70 advantage with 3.5 seconds left. The ball was placed in Gibbs’ hands for the deciding bucket in the nail-biting finish of a game that saw seven ties.

Parting Points: Friday’s artist- Sarah Mclachlan

A complacent day for Pittsburgh sports fans Thursday- Pitt wins at the last second and the Penguins top the Rangers in overtime.