Pitt too much for Penn, 78-58

Penn showed plenty of grit and had the best all-around player on the ancient Palestra floor when it matched up Friday night against Pitt, practically a fixture in the national rankings the past decade or so.

But college basketball games are usually decided by team with the better size, talent and depth. The No. 17 Panthers had it and there was nothing the Quakers and their outstanding guard, Zack Rosen, could do about it except gamely compete.

Even though they were on their home floor, Pitt had most of the spectators on their side in a 78-58 win over Penn (3-3) in one of a series of games in the Philly Hoop Group Classic.

Many in the crowd came to see Pitt senior and former Chester High star Nasir Robinson, who had 12 points, four rebounds and three steals. Eagles running back LeSean McCoy was there to support the Panthers (4-1).

Rosen led all scorers with 22 points.

Two broken plays that resulted in three-point baskets for the Panthers helped undo the Quakers in the second half. On one, Ashton Gibbs escaped Rosen's strangling defense when Rosen was on the floor scrambling for a loose ball. Wide open in the corner, Gibbs connected on the three to make it 56-45. On Pitt's next trip down the floor, Talib Zanna got open on the wing after the ball was tapped to him out of another scramble and his three made it 59-47.

In the first half, the Panthers shot 55 percent and three of their forwards, including Robinson, had their way on offense, yet the Quakers were down only 35-29 and it as mostly because of Rosen.

The senior had the difficult task of guarding Gibbs straight up for most of the game yet still had enough in his tank to give Pitt fits when he had the ball. Rosen drained three three-pointers and had 13 points in the first 20 minutes. His backdoor layup pulled the Quakers within 28-24 before Robinson used his muscle to score inside to end a six-point run for Penn.

A fascinating subplot to the game was the matchup between Rosen, a candidate for Ivy League player of the year, and Gibbs, the preseason player of the year in the Big East. Rosen went into the game averaging 22.8 points and shooting 60 percent (18 for 30) from three-point distance. He was also averaging five assists a game. Gibbs was averaging 19.8 points and had scored more than 20 in three of the first four games. With Rosen practically inside his dark blue jersey, Gibbs missed his first seven shots and didn't get his first basket until he nailed a three-pointer that made it 49-37 with 13:20 remaining.

The game was Robinson's first at the Palestra since he went to Pitt out of Chester High School, and it seemed like half the population of his hardscrabble hometown were in the old building to support him.

While the 6-5 Robinson did Chester proud with a solid all-around game, it was Khem Birch, a highly touted 6-9 freshman from Quebec who hurt Penn as much as any of the Panthers. Pitt coach Jamie Dixon had been easing the rangy Birch into the college level. Birch, the highest-ranked recruit to play at Pitt since Philly's Brian Shorter in 1987, had played a total of 39 minutes the first four games.

The game marked Pitt's first game against Penn at the Palestra in more than 47 years. The Panthers defeated Penn, 71-59, on Feb. 28, 1964. It was Pitt's first appearance at the Palestra Jan. 18. 1986.