Published: January 27, 2007
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Pittsburgh
relied on the inside play of Aaron Gray and Sam Young to control
poor-shooting St. John's at both ends of the floor, and the No. 9
Panthers extended their best Big East start by cruising to a 72-46
victory Saturday.
The 7-foot Gray had 13 points and 10 rebounds as Pitt (19-3, 7-1
in Big East) repeatedly limited St. John's (12-9, 3-5) to one shot
on offense, preventing the Red Storm from settling into a rhythm.
Pitt won its ninth in 10 games.
Young hit a pair of 3-pointers while adding 11 points, his
second successive double-digit game after he was shut out in Pitt's
previous four games. Young had 10 points Wednesday in a 67-51 win
at Cincinnati after scoring 15 points in seven games before
that.
With 10 players scoring, the Panthers improved to 7-1 in Big
East play for the first time since moving into the conference 25
years ago. Their best previous start was 6-1, accomplished four
times.
The 26-point margin of victory also was Pitt's largest in a
series in which St. John's has dominated, winning 33 of 50. The
previous largest was 23 points, 77-54 in 2002.
St. John's was coming off victories against Syracuse and No. 22
Notre Dame, but never got close to Pitt after an 11-2 Panthers run
midway through the first half made it 26-12. Gray scored three
times during the run with a power move inside, a left-handed layup
and a dunk.
Lamont Hamilton, the Red Storm's leading scorer with a 13.5
average, ended the run with a pair of free throws with 5:36
remaining in the half - his first points after scoring 33 points in
his last two games. The 6-10 Hamilton had 24 points and eight
rebounds in St. John's 55-50 upset of then-No. 9 Pitt last season,
but was limited to eight points and two rebounds in the only game
between the teams this season.
Anthony Mason Jr. led the Red Storm with 10 points and six
rebounds.
St. John's never got any closer than 10 points after Pitt's
pivotal run in the first half, and the Panthers continued pulling
away by scoring 10 of the first 12 points in the second half. St.
John's, shooting 32.1 percent for the game (17-of-53), was limited
to one basket in the first 6 1/2 minutes of the half.
Pitt is 13-1 at home, rebounding from its only loss there this
season - a 77-74 overtime defeat to No. 15 Marquette on
Sunday.