UConn Downed by Pitt in BIG EAST Final

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NEW YORK, NY (March 15) -- The University of Pittsburgh won its first ever BIG EAST Conference Tournament with a, 74-56, win over Connecticut in the final Saturday night in Madison Square Garden.  Pitt was led by Julius Page with 16 points, as he was also named the winner of the Dave Gavitt Trophy as the Most Outstanding Player in the Tournament. 

Pitt improves to 26-4 on the season and the Huskies fall to 21-9.  Both teams, along with the rest of the nation, will await their fate tomorrow as the NCAA Championship field is announced.  The game was UConn's eighth appearance in a BIG EAST final and the Huskies now have an overall record of 5-3 in these games. 

UConn was led in scoring by junior Taliek Brown (Queens, NY) with 15 points and sophomore Ben Gordon (Mt. Vernon, NY) with 13.  UConn committed 20 turnovers, its most in the 2003 BIG EAST Tournament which Pitt converted into 25 points while committing only 11 miscues. 

UConn's Emeka Okafor and Gordon were named to the All-Tournament Team and were joined on that squad by Brandin Knight of Pittsburgh, Carmello Anthony of Syracuse and Craig Smith of Boston College. 

Pittsburgh led for most of the first half and opened up a six point advantage, 25-19, with 10:09 left to play.  UConn battled back to make it 36-35 Panthers at intermission.  UConn shot 60% in the first half (15-for-25) while the Panthers shot at a 46.9% clip (15-for-32).  Pitt took the lead in the first half for good on a basket by Page with 13:42 to go making it 13-11 Panthers. 

The game was tied 40-40 with 16:50 left to go, but Pitt scored 12 of the game's next 16 points to take a 52-44 lead with 10:10 to go.  Pitt led 60-51 with 3:50 left to go, but UConn's Tony Robertson (Providence, RI) hit a three point field goal with 2:34 to go, to close the gap to six at 60-54; the closest UConn could get.