Pittsburgh’s Football Team May Outscore Its Hardwood Counterpart

Pittsburgh and New Hampshire played one of the worst college basketball games in recent memory on Friday night. The description is so painful to read, it makes one wonder whether those involved will disavow all knowledge of the game before long.

⇥Pitt’s Ashton Gibbs compared it to a YMCA game. Brad Wanamaker couldn’t recall a similar game since his 8 and under league. New Hampshire coach Bill Herrion said it was like undergoing a root canal.⇥⇥⇥⇥⇥Whatever it was, it didn’t resemble a NCAA Division I basketball game, especially during a record-setting first half in which Pitt shot terribly, New Hampshire shot even worse and scoreboard operator Jerry Ferber barely moved a finger. ⇥⇥⇥⇥

Taking the description from the abstract to the concrete may actually make it worse. In the first ten minutes of the first half, the Panthers and Wildcats hit just three shots combined; they scored just 22 points together in the first twenty minutes. New Hampshire had only seven of those 22 points, shot 23.5 percent from the field and three-point range for the game, made just four of ten free throws, and had more turnovers and fouls than field goals. Pitt got 42 of its 47 points from just two players -- and none from three of their starters -- made 40.5 percent of their baskets, and still won by double digits. Yuck.

Good news for Pitt fans: Dion Lewis is tearing up Cincinnati early in a de facto Big East title game in that sport with the prolate spheroid. And better news for college hoops fans: North Carolina meets Kentucky in today’s marquee matchup, and there’s no way that disappoints. (Right?)

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