PITTSBURGH - With Bethune-Cookman close at 25-21, Pittsburgh used a 20-4 run to close the first half and then dominated the final 20 minutes en route to an 89-40 non-conference victory over the Wildcats Saturday night at the Peterson Events Center.
An Adrien Coleman lay-up with 7:07 left in the first half put the Wildcats (4-8) within four before the Panthers (10-1) took control and a 44-24 halftime lead, then limited the Wildcats to 16 second-half points.
Freshman Steven Adams had a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, while
J.J. Moore scored 18 points and was 8 of 12 from the field. Talib Zannaand and Lamar Patterson each scored 11 for the Panthers, who connected on 67.3 percent (37 of 55) of their shots.
Paul Scotland led B-CU with seven points, while Coleman, Alex Smith and Javoris Bryant each scored six.
B-CU enjoyed one lead, 5-4, on a Scotland three-pointer two minutes into the game.
The Wildcats return home to face Florida Christian Monday night at 7 p.m. in historic Moore Gymnasium.
HEAD COACH GRAVELLE CRAIG
"You try to take away how tough, how hard they [Pittsburgh] plays. That's a trademark of Coach Dixon. I wanted to give our guy a take in how they play hard for 40 minutes."
On the rebounding
"[Their size] was partial, but that doesn't doesn't matter if you're competing. This was our worst game, effort-wise. That's what I was disappointing with."
NOTES: Pitt held B-CU to 11 rebounds, the Wildcats' lowest single-game total dating back to at least 1992. The previous low: 16 against Wofford in 2007. The 40 points was the lowest for B-CU in the Gravelle Craig era ... This was the second time this season Kevin Dukes or Coleman did not lead the team in scoring ... Coleman had his streak of double-figure games end at14 ... Dukes did hit a three-pointer to extend that streak to 31 ... Everyone from both teams who played scored ... Brandon Stewart made his season debut, scoring four points in 21 minutes.
