BOX SCORE
In a game that certainly wasnt the most aesthetically pleasing as far as college basketball games go, Pitt pulled away late to beat Villanova, 58-43, Wednesday night at the Pavilion.
The Wildcats shot just 31.8 percent and turned the ball over 18 times compared to 10 assists en route to their second consecutive conference defeat. Villanova, which fell to 11-6 on the season and 2-2 in Big East play, struggled when it mattered most.
Pitt, which improved to 14-4 and 2-3 in Big East play, went on a late run to close the game. After a fastbreak dunk by Villanovas James Bell tied it up with just over five minutes to go, the Panthers scored 15 points in a row and did not allow the Wildcats to score another point.
Darrun Hilliard was the lone Villanova player to reach double figures, scoring 14 points, all in the first half. Trey Zeigler and Durand Johnson led Pitt with 13 apiece.
First half
Villanova closed the first half on an 8-0 run, capped by a three-pointer from Ryan Arcidiacono, to take a 23-22 lead into the break. Darrun Hilliard led all scorers with 14 first-half points.
Both teams struggled to score points in the early going, combining to start 1 for 11 from the field. Villanova went nearly five minutes without a field goal, a span during which Pitt went on a 7-0 run. That streak finally ended on a one-handed slam from Villanovas Daniel Ochefu, but a three-pointer from Durand Johnson gave Pitt a 22-15 lead. Thats when the Wildcats went on a run of their own to take a halftime lead.
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The teams combined for 18 turnovers and 15 personal fouls in the first half, compared to just 15 made field goals.
The drought continues
Villanova has not beaten Pitt since March 28, 2009, when Scottie Reynolds hit a last-second basket from the middle of the lane to send the Wildcats to the Final Four. The two teams play again on March 3 at Pittsburgh.
Inside the box score
Villanovas bench, which averaged 26.7 points over the last 10 games, was outscored 31-8.
Pinkston, who entered the game averaging a team-high 13.3 points, scored just eight points on 2-of-6 shooting.
Take out Hilliards 4-of-5 first-half shooting and Villanova shot just 3 of 18 in the opening period.
Johnsons 13-point performance marked just the second time all season hes reached double digits. The first was Saturday, when he scored 10 in the Panthers overtime loss at Marquette.
Whats next?
The Wildcats play at Providence on Saturday at 4 p.m. before returning home to play No. 1 Louisville next Tuesday and No. 6 Syracuse on Jan. 26. Both of those games will be played at the Wells Fargo Center.
E-mail Jake Kaplan at jkaplan@comcastsportsnet.com