Big Lead Sports Bar

3/05/2010

TODAY'S HEADLINES

Ashton Gibbs saves the day: With Pitt trailing by one and 3.5 seconds left in the game, Gibbs hit a three-pointer at the buzzer, giving the Panthers the 73-71 win and locking up a double-bye in the Big East tournament to boot.

Pitt basically had a three-man team; outside of Gibbs, Brad Wanamaker, and Jermaine Dixon, the rest of the Panthers had 14 points and 11 rebounds combined. Despite 53% shooting, the team's offensive output was disappointing, considering the Friars give up an average of 85.7 PPG against Big East teams and rank 332nd in the country in scoring defense.

Gilbert Brown had his predictable "every-other-game" disappearing act, with 0 points on 0-for-5 shooting. Since the South Florida game, here are Brown's point totals: 25, 0, 23, 6, 16, 5, 16, 3, 13, 0. So that means he'll probably have about 17 against Rutgers on Saturday.

Jamine Peterson ran wild for the Friars, with 24 points and 18 rebounds. If this team could ever figure out how to play defense, they might be dangerous. But in the meantime, they'll have to deal with an ongoing nine-game losing skid. [ESPN]

Drama in New York, too: The Pens overcame a forgettable effort from Marc-Andre Fleury in goal to pull out a 5-4 overtime win against the Rangers last night at MSG. Jordan Staal scored on a power play at 3:42 of overtime, his second goal of the night, to end it for Pittsburgh.

[UPDATE: Geno Malkin is now being credited with the OT goal, but Staal gets extra credit for telling officials after the game that he did not touch the puck.]

The Penguins peppered Rangers goalie Henrik Lunqvist to the tune of 55 shots in the game, and outshot New York 23-1 over the third period and OT. Fleury was pulled after allowing four goals on just 12 shots, and Brent Johnson stopped the four shots he saw in more than 30 minutes of work for the win.

The Pens also got goals from Chris Kunitz and Alex Goligoski, and the team's 55-shot performance was pretty awesome considering they were playing without Bill Guerin and Alexei Ponikarovsky.

The guys are back at it on Saturday against Dallas, with a 1 PM start. I'd expect Fleury to start and bounce back with a much better effort. [ESPN]

Willie Parker, Tampa Bay Buccaneer? Consider this the first official rumor about a Steeler free agent, as Tampa tries to breathe some life into a rushing attack that finished 23rd in the NFL last season. He would join a mediocre backfield that already houses Cadillac Williams, Derrick Ward, Earnest Graham, and Kareem Huggins. [Pewter Report]

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8 comments:

Unknown said...

Gibbs is going to go down as an all-time great for Pitt hoops.

NickDawg said...

The game winning goal was changed and awarded to Geno, keeping his pts streak alive...staal told officals he didnt deflect it and it was confirmed by nhl war room in toronto this morning..just an fyi

BurressWithButterflywings said...

I just love how the Pens responded last night and didn't lose composure, even when down 2 goals after NOTHING was going our way.

After the Rags scored the 4th goal, I told my fiance Rupp had better be out there pounding Dubinksy's face in. Instead, he beat them where it really counted. That is a pretty good indication that Bylsma's head is in the right place and he isn't sitting over there whining about everything like Turd-a-rella.

There was a lot of signature- Ranger garbage away from the play and after the whistle last night and it always seemed to be initiated by the Rags. I thought we did a nice job of not getting caught up in it too much. M.Staal stuck Sid pretty good in the ribs and he went down hard, so that gives the Rags a right to jump him? oh well, that's hockey.

Did anyone else notice when the Rags couldn't change due to an icing, the clocks in the arean mysteriously went out? I think that, like the withholding camera angles deal, happens in any arena around the league. That's why its called home ice advantage!

Rege said...

Can anybody here believe the Jets got Cromartie for a third round pick? Paired with revis that secondary will be sick.

BurressWithButterflywings said...

If this was 2007.

Louis Lipps is my homeboy said...

That game was totally dictated by goaltending.

You had the rare occurrence of a very off night by one team's starter, and a very on night by the other teams, each to the extreme.

So we had a game where we dominated play, and still had to squeak out a W.

Is it me, or is some of the luster taken off of a killer buzzer beater when it comes against a bottom feeder like Providence? If it happens against 'cuse we're like "YEAH!! WE WON!!" When it happens against Providence it's more like "Thank god we didn't lose to these scrubs...."


The Steelers should resign Randle El (What? I'm serious... hey where are you guys going?)

Rege said...

Notable Steelers third rounders:
Bruce Davis
Matt Spaeth
Kraig Urbik
Willie Reid
Anthony Smith

With exceptions to Mike Wallace and well... Mike Wallace,the Steelers seem to miss anyway after round two of late, and even if it increases to 2nd rounder with great play from Cromartie it means we are probally in the AFC championship.

If Cromartie turns out to be head case don't resign him. In an uncapped year the Steelers should have taken a chance on a hired gun for year. Anyways- I think Tomlin could have gotten him on the right track.

BurressWithButterflywings said...

Tomlin certainly turned Willie Gay into a shutdown CB