Final
Pitt drubs Buffalo to improve to 5-0
Nov 24, 2007 - 3:09 AM By Chris Adamski PA SportsTicker Contributing WriterPITTSBURGH (Ticker) - Another non-conference opponent left Pittsburgh with a familiar result.
No. 17 Pittsburgh dominated from start to finish and won for the 73rd time in their past 74 home games against non-Big East foes, rolling to a 92-45 defeat of Buffalo on Friday night.
Sam Young had 20 points, eight rebounds, four steals and three blocks to lead Pitt (5-0) in each category.
"It was just one of those days where things went well for us," Panthers coach Jamie Dixon said. "I thought our guys played very well, very sound and very unselfish."
Keith Benjamin added 17 points and three steals off the bench and Levance Fields 15 points and seven assists for the Panthers, who are 5-0 for the eighth consecutive season.
Vadim Fedotov had 13 points to pace Buffalo (2-3), which has lost three of its past four but had already beaten a Big East team this season, downing South Florida, 76-69, on November 13.
After the Bulls scored the contest's first four points, the Panthers went on a 22-0 run to take a 22-4 lead and never looked back. Pitt led at halftime, 49-21, and by as many as 51 points in the second half.
"We said we didn't want it to be close," Young said. "They scheduled three Big East teams and already beat one coming into this game, so we didn't want us to be the second. We knew they thought they could compete with Big East teams. We didn't want them to make us an example."
The Panthers shot 50.7 percent from the field the Bulls shot only 33.9 percent and held a 42-29 edge in rebounding, including a 15-10 advantage on the offensive glass. They had 27 second-chance points to only four for Buffalo and also outscored the Bulls in fast-break points, 31-4.
Last season, Pitt eked out a 70-67 win at Buffalo after trailing for most the of the contest. The Panthers allowed for no such drama Friday night.
"Anytime you go to someone's arena, it'll be difficult," Benjamin said. "This year, we wanted to get after them. We had no idea what the outcome was going to be. We didn't know it would be that much of a blowout, but we just went after it."
Pitt is 52-1 all-time against non-conference teams at the Petersen Events Center, which opened in 2003. The Panthers have won their five games this season by an average margin of 31.8 points.
"I thought Pitt was outstanding tonight," Bulls coach Reggie Witherspoon said. "The defense was great. They're so much quicker than last year, and their decision-making was very, very good."
- NCAA BB
FINAL 1ST 2ND TOTAL
--- --- -----
BUFFALO 21 24 45
PITTSBURGH (17) 49 43 92 FINAL
Nov 23 9:18 PM - NCAA BB
BUFFALO 21
(17) PITTSBURGH 49 HALFTIME
Nov 23 8:20 PM
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