Panthers Back on Track with win vs. Delaware

Well that was more like it.

Just two days after suffering their first loss of the season to No. 4 Michigan, Jamie Dixon’s Pitt Panthers bounced back nicely with an 85-59 victory over Delaware in the Consolation Game of the Preseason NIT in Madison Square Garden.

November 23, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Lamar Patterson (21) drives to the basket past Delaware Blue Hens guard Devon Saddler (10) during the first half of the NIT Season Tip-Off consolation game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-US PRESSWIRE

And they did it the way they won the first four games of the season- with great defense, balanced scoring and a big day from their frontcourt.

The Panthers had five players in double figures on the night and the starting frontcourt of Lamar Patterson, Talib Zanna and Steven Adams combined to score 47 points and grab 23 rebounds in the win.

Patterson had his second big game in a row after a slow start to the season, scoring 16 points with 10 rebounds, while Zanna continues to have big games every other game, this time turning in an 18 and 10 performance. The freshman Adams chipped in 13, making 6-of-9 shots from the floor and looked much more comfortable, after being a non-factor on Wednesday, going scoreless against the Wolverines.

Delaware point guard Devon Saddler scored 28 points, but the Blue Hens fell behind by 21 in the first half and never recovered. The Pitt defense made it tough on them, limiting Delaware to only 38.6 percent from the floor on the afternoon.

Pitt didn’t have such problems shooting the ball; making 33-of-56 shots (58.9 percent), while also knocking down 40 percent of their attempts from behind the arc.

Nine of the ten Pitt players found their way into the scoring column, and in addition to the performance from their big men, Tray Woodall (13) and J.J. Moore (10) also scored in double figures.

Pitt gets back in action on Tuesday when it hosts Howard University at the Petersen Events Center.