Pitt Bounces Back...Barely

Pitt defeated Washington 65-61 on Saturday at Pittsburgh. The Panthers were out rebounded, one of their strong points, and struggled from behind the arc, arguably their best point. Aaron Gray was kept to a minimum with 5 points and 10 rebounds. The Panthers were helped out by Mike Cook who scored 15, as both Gray and Levon Kendall were kept quiet for most of the game. Gray tallied his 1,000 point as a Panther just before colliding with a Washington player and injuring his ankle. The Panthers said Gray should be good to go against Big East opponent Seton Hall on Monday. Pittsburgh's problem is simple. They need to have Gray and Kendall be at their best or they struggle to win. A loss to both Louisville and Marquette hurts them going into the tournament because both those teams will have confidence against the Panthers when they play them next. If Pitt wants a number two seed in the tournament they have to win outright. But with games at Georgetown and Marquette and Dub V at home that could be hard.