Abromaitis scores 17, Notre Dame makes 10 3-pointers to beat No. 12 Pittsburgh 68-53
By Tom Coyne, APWednesday, February 24, 2010
Notre Dame makes 10 3s, beat No. 12 Pitt 68-53
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Tim Abromaitis scored 17 points, Ben Hansbrough had 15 points and nine rebounds and Notre Dame made 10 3-pointers to beat No. 12 Pittsburgh 68-53 on Wednesday and end the Panthers’ five-game winning streak.
The Fighting Irish (18-10, 7-8 Big East), playing a third straight game without Luke Harangody because of a bone bruise on his right knee, buried the Panthers (21-7, 10-5) from the outside. The Irish were 10 of 18 from 3-point range, making 56 percent of their shots behind the arc.
The Panthers hadn’t given up more than nine 3-pointers in a game this season.
Tory Jackson added 14 points and seven assists for the Irish, who ended a three-game losing streak by earning their second win in six tries against ranked opponents.
The Panthers shot 42 percent from the floor as the loss allowed West Virginia to move into a tie for third place in the Big East with Pittsburgh. The Panthers, who had won six of their previous seven against the Irish, were led by Jermaine Dixon with 13 points and Ashton Gibbs had 11.
Abromaitis and Jackson were both 3 of 5 on 3-pointers for the Irish, and Tyrone Nash added 13 points.
The Irish, playing at a slower pace without Harangody, took command with a 19-3 run that started with a fallaway jumper at the halftime buzzer by Jackson that gave Notre Dame a 35-27 lead. Carleton Scott then made back-to-back 3-pointers early in the second half, followed by another 3-pointer by Jackson. Hansbrough followed with a three-point play, scoring on a reverse layup and a free throw after he was fouled by Dixon. Another 3-pointer by Abromaitis gave the Irish a 52-30 lead.
Notre Dame extended the lead to 58-34 when Abromaitis made a pair of free throws with 9:05 left. The Panthers didn’t get closer than 19 until the final minute.
The Panthers, who matched a season high with 21 offensive rebounds in their upset of Villanova on Sunday, were outrebounded 34-25 by the Irish even though they were without Harangody, their leading rebounder at 10 a game.
Before the game, Notre Dame honored Harangody, the nation’s No. 2 scorer at 24.1 points a game, by making him the first player inducted into the school’s “Ring of Honor,” hanging his No. 44 from the rafters. The school plans to add past players into the ring in future years.
The Irish, which had a week off after its double overtime loss at Louisville, play at No. 11 Georgetown on Saturday.
