Filed under: Pittsburgh, Texas
NEW YORK -- Twenty-five basketball seasons ago, Jamie Dixon beat Texas by dribbling up court and launching a last-second shot from about 35 feet for -- Swish! -- a one-point victory.
Dixon then played for TCU. Now, he coaches the Pittsburgh Panthers, who needed a different ending to a similar play Friday night to secure a 68-66 victory over the Longhorns at Madison Square Garden.
They got it when Cory Joseph of Texas dribbled up court after a missed Panthers' free throw with 11.3 seconds left. Guarded by Pitt's Travon Woodall, Joseph hurried a long, one-handed scoop shot while off balance with about five seconds to go.
A three-point field goal would have given Texas the win and a two-pointer would have meant a tie, but the ball soared nowhere near the rim. After a scramble, it was taken by the Panthers, who clinched the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches against Cancer. Pitt is 5-0 and ranked fifth.
"He was kind of frustrated the whole game," Woodall said of Joseph. "I know he's a freshman. I was trying to get him out of control."
Woodall said there was contact on the play but not enough for a foul against him. Woodall is only a sophomore but, like most of his teammates, plays with savvy.
Joseph said "the ball was in my hand, and it just didn't happen. It's just a learning experience."
No comments:
Post a Comment