Pitt Basketball Top 10 Wins at the Petersen Events Center

Pitt basketball defeated Notre Dame Saturday night, giving the program its 300th win at the Petersen Events Center since its opening in 2002.

These past 22 seasons have had so many great moments in the building, with Pitt basketball achieving many feats and incredible wins over that time. Of the 10 longest home winning streaks in program history, seven have occurred at the Petersen Events Center. The many great players that have played in that building easily make the top 10 list for the best players in Pitt basketball history and some of the fans’ most loved players too.

With so many great victories for the program since it opened, trimming it down to 10 is no easy feat, but it must happen. There were many that were close, but just missed the cut, despite the great memories and moments that occurred at the games.

Without further ado, here are the top 10 games that Pitt has played in the Petersen Events Center, in chronological order.

Top 10 Pitt Basketball Wins at Petersen Events Center

No. 8 Pitt 71-67 over UConn-March 2, 2003

Pitt had an incredible first season in the Petersen Events Center, going 19-0, as a part of a 40 home game winning streak, the longest in program history. The streak started on January 22, 2002 with win over rival Syracuse, with six games at Fitzgerald Field House and then the first 34 games of the Petersen Events Center, before Syracuse upset No. 3 Pitt, 49-46 in overtime on Feb. 29, 2004.

This particular win against UConn helped solidify that perfect first season on their new home court, as Pitt would demolish Seton Hall, 86-54, in the home finale on March 5.

The Panthers found themselves down 36-28 to the Huskies at halftime, but junior guard Julius Page (2000-04) would score 11 straight points in the beginning of the second half to put the Panthers in the lead. The Huskies made a close comeback down seven with 2:43 remaining, but Page would win the game with a late free throw to get the victory.

Page would lead Pitt basketball with 17 points, while senior forward Ontario Lett (2001-03) provided 16 himself. Sophomore forward Chevon Troutman (2001-05) came off the bench and scored 13 points on 6-for-7 shooting from the floor.

This win was also the first for the Panthers over the Huskies since legendary head coach Jim Calhoun took over prior to the 1999-2000 season. It would also serve important for the next meeting at Madison Square Garden in New York City less than two weeks later on March 15, as the Panthers demolished the Huskies 74-56 for the program’s first Big East Tournament Title.

No. 22 Pitt defeats rival Notre Dame, 100-97 in double overtime-Jan. 4, 2006

Pitt would take on rival Notre Dame in this wild game that saw many rallies and great performances from both teams.

The Panthers took a 34-30 lead at halftime, but this is when Fighting Irish guard Chris Quinn started to dominate with some incredible shooting. He would score 37 points in the game, with 30 of his points coming after the second half. Quinn also scored 16 straight points for the Fighting Irish late in the second half, helping them trim a nine-point deficit with 45 seconds left to send the game into overtime.

Notre Dame took advantage of poor free throw shooting from Pitt in the first overtime, 8-for-15, coming back from down seven points to tie the game up and go for their second overtime.

The Panthers would eventually win the game, thanks to sophomore guard Ronald Ramon (2004-08) hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer with 15 seconds left in the second overtime.

Junior center Aaron Gray (2003-07) would score a career-high 25 points in the victory and redshirt senior guard Carl Krauser (2001-06) scored 21 points himself for Pitt basketball, before fouling out late before the first overtime.

Two Pitt players that had important impacts were freshmen in forward Sam Young (2005-09) and guard Levance Fields (2005-09). Young, who only scored two points until late in the second half, finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double. Fields would provide 11 points off the bench, coming in for Krauser after he fouled out.

Quinn’s 37 points stands as the third most an opponent has scored in Petersen Events Center history and the most during the Big East era (2002-13). NC State forward T.J. Warren scored 41 points on March 3, 2014, in a 74-67 win over Pitt for the most points and Boston College guard Oliver Hanlan dropped 39 in a 71-65 loss.

No. 21 Pitt 55-54 over WVU-Feb. 7, 2008

The Backyard Brawl has provided great moments for both Pitt and WVU in the more than century long rivalry and there have been many great games at the Petersen Events Center between the two.

One of the best ones came in February 2008, in a game where both teams played great defense and prohibited offenses from gaining rhythm.

The Mountaineers held a slight 53-50 lead with less than a minute and a half remaining and looked to pull of the upset against the currently ranked No. 21 Panthers.

WVU guard Alex Ruoff, who had shot 85% from the foul line prior to this game, missed one of his two free throws with nine seconds left, putting his team up only two. WVU shot 7-for-17 from the foul line throughout the night, which would come back to hurt them soon after.

Pitt would call a timeout and set up a play originally for Young to score, although, things didn’t work out that way. Ramon received the inbound pass, ran to the corner and passed it to senior guard Keith Benjamin (2004-08). Benjamin would drive to the basket, saw that he attracted Ramon’s defender on a double-team and passed it back to him in the corner. Ramon would pull up from 3-point range, swished it and sent the Pitt faithful into a frenzy.

Fields, who didn’t play in this contest with an injury, jumped off the bench and ran to celebrate with his fellow guard and the rest of the Panthers.

No. 3 Pitt defeats No. 1 UConn 70-60: March 7, 2009

One of the greatest games in Pitt basketball history and what many fans consider the greatest at the Petersen Events Center, No. 3 Pitt faced off against No. 1 UConn in early March 2009.

The two teams faced off previously in Storrs, Conn. on Feb. 16, with No. 4 Pitt defeating No. 1 UConn 76-68, their first ever win over a No. 1 team in program history. Sophomore forward DeJuan Blair (2007-09) made himself a Pitt hero, catching 7-foot-3 UConn center Hasheem Thabeet’s left arm on a rebound and throwing him over his shoulder. Blair would finish with 22 points and an incredible 23 rebounds in that victory

This rematch came in front of the then biggest crowd in Petersen Events Center history, eager to see their Panthers battle with the rival Huskies in a brilliant Big East contest.

Pitt built a double-digit halftime lead, 38-28, and continued to improve on that in the second half, holding a 52-38 advantage with 12:25 remaining. UConn would respond, going on a 12-0 run to cut the lead to just two points at the 8:26 mark.

Young scored two big baskets for the Panthers, one on a driving layup that ended the five minute scoreless streak and then the other on an alley-oop from Fields that sent the home fans wild. The Panthers would hold onto the lead the rest of the way, outscoring the Huskies 14-10 to get the 10 point victory.

The win gave Pitt another perfect 19-0 season at home, with so many dominant performances throughout.

This game also served as the final one for Young, Fields, Blair and forward Tyrell Biggs (2005-09), who all played vital roles in Pitt basketball earning its first ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and the first Elite Eight since 1974.

No. 16 Pitt over Louisville 82-77 (Overtime): Jan. 16, 2010

No. 16 Pitt found itself down to Louisville throughout most of this game, with the road team taking the lead at the half and holding leads of six points with two minutes left and five points with one minute left.

Normally, a team like the Cardinals would have put the Panthers away. Instead, they shot terribly from the foul line, going 10-for-17 in the game and 1-for-5 in the final minute.

Their misses gave the Panthers opportunities to come back, with junior guard Brad Wanamaker (2007-11) hitting a 3-pointer from the corner, to cut the lead to one point at 68-67 with 15 seconds left.

After the Cardinals made one free throw,  there was a controversial previous possession where Panthers sophomore guard Ashton Gibbs (2008-12), didn’t get a foul call. This set up Wanamaker to receive the next inbound pass and a Cardinals player tripped him, sending him to the foul line where he made both free throws to send the game into overtime.

Senior guard Jermaine Dixon (2008-10) had a great overtime period, making a big mid-range jumper, a shot in the lane and a last-second layup to give Pitt the five point win.

The Panthers finished shooting 24-for-30, 80%, from the foul line, with Wanamaker scoring 20 points and making 11 of his 12 free throw attempts. Sophomore forward Nasir Robinson (2008-12) led with 26 points, shooting 11-for-14 from the floor.

Louisville head coach Rick Pitino, who suffered many bad losses before in his storied career, described the defeat as the second worst of his career up until that point.

“Outside of Duke and Christian Laettner, this is the worst loss I’ve experienced, watching a team play so well and put itself in a position to win,” Pitino said.

This win made it 31 straight for Pitt at the Petersen Events Center, which Georgetown snapped just a few days later. That streak is the second longest in program history at home.

No. 25 Pitt defeats No. 5 WVU 98-95 in triple overtime-Feb 3, 2010

Pitt basketball has only played in three triple overtime games, with this the most recent one and the only one at home.

The game didn’t initially look like it was going to overtime at all, as West Virginia lead 66-59 with 45 seconds remaining. Gibbs would hit a mid-range jumper to cut it to five, then after a miss from West Virginia forward Da’Sean Butler, redshirt freshman guard Travon Woodall got fouled and made both of his free throws to make it a three-point game.

Mountaineers guard Darryl “Truck” Bryant made both of his free throws, but then Woodall ran down the court and hit a layup to make it a three-point game again. Bryant would turn it over on the next possession in his back court from the press and Wanamaker would save the ball off the line for the Panthers. He passed it to Woodall who got it to Gibbs, who took one dribble before pulling up in the corner from 3-point range and making it to tie the game at 68 with 22.4 seconds remaining.

The fans got fully behind the Panthers, who forced the game into overtime. They led by three points late in the first two overtimes, but couldn’t prevail either time. Bryant made a 3-point shot with three seconds left to level it in the first overtime and Panthers junior center Gary McGhee (2007-11) fouled Butler from behind the arc in the second overtime, and he made all three of his free throws to tie it. Woodall made a late mid-range jumper, but after the time expired, leading to the officials waving it off and sending it into a third overtime.

Butler even gave WVU the lead in the third overtime with about 40 seconds remaining, but Pitt would seal the game with two free throws each from junior forward Gilbert Brown (2007-11) and Gibbs to win one of the greatest games in program history.

No. 17 Pitt defeats Providence 73-71-March 4, 2010

While the other games on this list come against great opponents, Providence was a poor team in the 2009-10 season.

The Friars came into the game 12-16 overall, 4-12 in the Big East and on an eight game losing streak. The Panthers, in contrast, came in 22-7 overall, 11-5 in the Big East and No. 17 in the latest AP poll.

Providence battled throughout this game, keeping it close, and then taking the lead at times throughout the second half. Both teams struggled to score late on and it came down to Dixon making a late foul on Providence guard Brian McKenzie with three seconds left. McKenzie missed the first, but made the second to give his team a one-point lead.

Pitt had no timeouts, so Brown immediately gave the ball to Gibbs in the back court. Gibbs sprinted past his defender, moved into 3-point range and took a desperation shot. Amazingly, it went in, sending the fans and players out of their seats, stunned he made the shot and won the game.

That buzzer beater game-winner is the last one for the Panthers at the Petersen Events Center, despite many late shots to win it, none have come at the buzzer.

Gibbs finished with 25 points on 9-for-13 shooting from the field and 6-for-9 from behind the arc to led Pitt to victory.

No. 6 Pitt over No. 4 UConn 78-63-Dec. 27, 2010

The third Pitt-UConn game to make this list is the last one the two came in the game at the Petersen Events Center ranked in the top 10.

The Panthers jumped out to an early 17-6 lead and would hold onto it through the first half, up 37-28 at the break. The dominance from the Panthers didn’t stop throughout the match as the Huskies couldn’t stop their balanced attack, as they finished with a 15 point victory over Christmas break.

Gibbs had 21 points on 6-for-13 shooting from the field, three 3-pointers and a perfect 6-for-6 from the line to lead Pitt basketball. McGhee, Robinson and Wanamaker each scored in double-digits as Pitt shot 52.1% from the field and made 23 of their 30 foul shots, as 76.7%. UConn shot well from the foul line, 20-for-26, but poorly from the field, 31.7%, and from behind the arc, 5-for-21, 23.8%.

No. 5 Pitt 74-66 over No. 3 Syracuse-Jan. 17, 2011

Just three weeks later, Pitt basketball played in an even bigger game against rival Syracuse, with both squads ranked in the top five. Syracuse was perfect, 18-0 overall and 5-0 in the Big East, while Pitt had just one blemish on its record at 17-1 overall and 5-0 in the Big East.

The Panthers came out and forced a number of mistakes and poor shots from the Orange en route to a 19-0 lead in the first eight minutes of the game. The Orange responded with a 17-0 run over the next six minutes themselves to cut it two points.

Despite allowing a big run themselves, Pitt maintained control of the game and led 31-27 going into halftime. Syracuse would tie the game at times early on in the second half, but Pitt would build out their lead to nine midway through and held on for the eight point victory.

Robinson led the Panthers with 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the floor, while Wanamaker, Brown and Gibbs scored in double digits themselves.

The win also made Pitt basketball 9-0 against top five ranked teams at the Petersen Events Center. Interestingly enough, Pitt has only played three teams ranked in the top five at home since the 2010-11 season, Syracuse once and twice Duke, all coming in the ACC and in losses. No. 1 Syracuse broke that perfect record with Tyler Ennis making the buzzer beater from half court to send Pitt fans home miserable on Feb. 12, 2014.

Pitt 71-68 over No. 20 Miami-Jan. 28, 2023

The only game on this list that comes from the ACC (2013-Present) is a much more recent game in Panthers’ fans memories.

Pitt took on a good Miami team, who led throughout a majority of the game, including up 68-60 with two minutes remaining.

Sophomore center Federiko Federiko would make both of his free throws and then after a Miami miss, junior forward Blake Hinson hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to one possession game. Miami would miss their next shot and graduate student guard Nelly Cummings (2022-23) took control on the next play, driving to the basket, but fading away and his shot bounced around the rim and went in, cutting Miami’s advantage to one.

Panthers graduate student guard Jamarius Burton (2021-23) cut out the pass from Hurricanes guard Isiah Wong on the next play and drove down the court. He went right to the rim, but his shot didn’t go in, until Hinson ran down and tipped it in to give the Panthers a 69-68 lead with 31.9 seconds left.

Miami’s final possession saw Burton come up big again, stripping the ball away from Wong as he attempted to shoot in the paint. After a mixup that led to Miami getting the ball back, Pitt graduate student guard Greg Elliott (2022-23) took it away on their ensuing inbounds pass and ensured the win with two made free throws, 71-68.

The win signified the return of the Oakland Zoo, the Pitt basketball student section, and spurred the team to a 24-12 overall record, making their first NCAA Tournament since 2016.

Honorable Mentions

No. 6 Pitt 72-55 over No. 5 Notre Dame-Jan. 6, 2003 (First Top Five Win/First Big East Win at Petersen Events Center)
No. 4 Pitt 75-68 over No. 5 UConn-Feb. 15, 2004
No. 20 Pitt 76-69 over No. 4 Syracuse-Jan. 29, 2005
No. 14 Pitt 57-53 over No. 9 WVU-Feb. 9, 2006
No. 7 Pitt 74-69 over Georgetown-Jan. 13, 2007 (First ESPN College Gameday at the Petersen Events Center)
No. 19 Pitt 69-60 over No. 5 Georgetown-Jan. 14, 2008
No. 4 Pitt 78-60 over No. 8 Syracuse-Jan. 19, 2009
No. 19 Pitt 70-65 over No. 3 Villanova-Feb. 21, 2010
Pitt 75-66 over No. 6 Syracuse-Feb. 2, 2013
No. 23 Pitt 73-64 over Villanova (Overtime)-March 3, 2013 (Last Big East Game at Petersen Events Center)
Pitt 76-72 over No. 8 Notre Dame-Jan. 31, 2015
Pitt 89-76 over No. 12 North Carolina-Feb. 14, 2015
Pitt 76-62 over No. 15 Duke-Feb. 28, 2016 (First Win vs. Duke at Petersen Events Center)
Pitt 99-82 over Syracuse-Feb. 25, 2023 (Aidan Fisch)