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Pitt beats Marquette, runs win streak to five

Jan 8, 2011 - 11:47 PM Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Ashton Gibbs scored 19 points, Brad Wanamaker had 15 and No. 5 Pittsburgh held on for an 89-81 victory over Marquette.

The Panthers (15-1, 3-0 Big East) not only remained unbeaten in the conference, they extended their winning streak to five games since a loss against Tennessee last month.

Gilbert Brown scored 14 points and Gary McGhee added 12 in the victory.

"We've got to get right back to work on Monday and Tuesday because the problem with this league is you never get a day off," said Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon. "We just got a good win and now we go to Georgetown and play the No. 1 team in RPI."

Darius Johnson-Odom scored 20 points to lead Marquette (11-5, 2-1) while Dwight Buycks added 19 points, Jimmy Butler had 17 and Jae Crowder scored 10.

The Golden Eagles had a two-game winning streak snapped, losing for the second time in their last six.

Pitt took the floor at Petersen Events Center fresh off Big East victories over a very good Connecticut team and Providence.

Carrying that momentum into this game, the Panthers shot 60 percent from the floor to extend their home winning streak to 18 games. They have won 49 of their last 50 overall in front of the frenzied Pitt faithful.

"We lost my first year here by 15 and this year by eight so the spread is not very good when we come here," said Marquette head coach Buzz Williams.

Pitt shot 57 percent in the first half, held Marquette to 41 percent shooting and carried a 48-37 lead into the locker room.

Although the lead only changed hands twice in the entire game, it wasn't a rout.

Marquette pushed the Panthers to finish strong, forcing five straight turnovers in the second half while using an 8-0 run to trim a 16-point deficit to 69-61.

But the Golden Eagles never got closer than eight -- each time they hit that number, Pitt scored at the other end.

Johnson-Odom hit a three-pointer for the final eight-point deficit, but Gibbs made two foul shots with 26 seconds left to expand it to 10 and the Panthers easily held on.

Game Notes

Marquette forced 10 turnovers while committing just two...Pittsburgh extended its lead in the all-time series to 8-6.