NEW YORK- Lamar Patterson’s 24 points led five players in double figures as Pittsburgh took advantage of a quick start en route to an 88-67 victory over Stanford in the championship game of the Progressive Legends Classic on Tuesday night at the Barclays Center.
Pittsburgh (6-0), which shot 45.5 percent overall and led 43-28 at intermission, did the bulk of its damage from three-point territory (8-17) and the foul line (30-34).
Despite connecting at 50.0 percent overall from the field, Stanford (5-2) was unable to make up ground in the second half and saw its four-game winning streak come to an end.
Dwight Powell notched his second straight 20-point game and third of the year overall, finishing with a team-high 20 points on 7-12 shooting while making 6-9 from the charity stripe. Powell was one rebound shy of a double-double and also dished out six assists in 37 minutes.
Anthony Brown added 16 points and knocked down four three-pointers (all in the second half) while Chasson Randle pitched in with 10 points.
The Cardinal, which was victimized by 14 turnovers, trimmed the deficit to 11 points midway through the second half but could not get any closer.
Leading 17-13 midway through the first half, Pittsburgh embarked on a 15-7 scoring run to build a 34-22 advantage following two free throws from Patterson.
The game’s biggest sequence came with 9:06 remaining in the second half. After a tip-in from Josh Huestis cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 11, Durand Johnson knocked down a three-pointer from the wing and was fouled on the play from Randle. Johnson converted the four-point play, extending the Panthers’ lead to 70-55 and effectively putting the game out of reach.
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NOTES: Dwight Powell was Stanford’s lone representative on the All-Tournament Team … Powell has notched back-to-back 20-point games for the fourth time in his career … Tonight’s meeting was just the third overall and first since a 55-37 Cardinal victory back on Jan. 31, 1949 in San Francisco … The last time Stanford lost a game despite shooting at least 50.0 percent was Feb. 24, 2011, when the Cardinal connected on 52.7 percent from the field in an 87-80 loss at Oregon State … Double-digit nonconference losses for Stanford have been rare. Tonight represented only the fifth such defeat in four years … Through seven games, Anthony Brown is shooting 56.1 percent overall and 62.1 percent (18-29) from three-point territory … Josh Huestis tallied only four rebounds, representing only the fourth time over the last two years he has finished a game with four rebounds or fewer … Pittsburgh’s 30 made free throws were the most for a Stanford opponent since Dec. 22, 2009, when Texas Tech converted on 33-48 in a 100-87 victory … Stanford will be making a return trip to the Barclays Center on Dec. 21, squaring off against 2013 NCAA runner-up Michigan to showcase the second annual Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational presented by adidas in a triple-header on Dec. 21. The event also features Long Island facing Temple and Manhattan taking on Buffalo.
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Stanford Head Coach Johnny Dawkins
“Tonight we just ran into a team that I felt was playing very well. Just look at the numbers, the way they shot and scored the basketball in a variety of ways was tough to overcome. All you can do is tip your hat to what they did. I thought our guys kept fighting, kept competing and kept trying to make runs. Every time we would get some momentum, someone would come up with a three-pointer and knock it down or someone would finish at the basket. When that happens, it becomes tough and they took advantage of everything they could offensively and they had a really good performance tonight.”
“The four-point play in the second half was deflating but I thought our guys continued to fight through that. Time just wasn’t on our side. Every second that is ticking off when you are down by double digits is difficult to overcome. But our guys kept fighting to the end.”
“You always expect to see a gritty, hard-nosed Pitt team that will play tough defensively and grind you out. I think what is different from this Pitt team, and I saw it on film so it wasn’t surprising, was it is one of the best scoring teams that I have seen in a long time. It seemed like they had a number of guys that can make baskets, so not only do they play the defense that they typically play, but they are able to score a lot easier.”
Pittsburgh Head Coach Jamie Dixon
“That was good for us because obviously Stanford is a quality program, quality institution and that is why we wanted to be part of the Legends Classic. We knew we would play great teams and great schools. I’m just happy how we responded. Obviously getting off to another big lead was good but I thought we battled in the second half as well and it was good to see. We had a variety of guys doing things for us and that has been our calling card probably even more so this year.”
“I like this team and we got better this week in our post defense, which we needed to. The three new guys, Jamel (Artis), Mike (Young) and Derrick (Randall) stood out for me as far as taking the right step defensively in post defense. We needed it for both these teams we were playing against because they were both big and athletic.”
“Lamar Patterson is a better player now than he was last year and probably a better player than he was a few weeks ago. He’s always had skills, can pass and shoot. He’s just a better athlete and in better shape right now. That comes from physical maturity and mental maturity. He’s taken that challenge. We set a goal for him and he reached it. It’s been a battle and he’s gotten to it.”
Senior Lamar Patterson
“Definitely, it was a good test. The first one we’ve had all year, because Stanford is a good team. I like the way we came through in crunch time and got the job done. We have a lot of great perimeter players and we have great guards who can penetrate, get in the lanes and find our shooters. We have to give credit to our big men also who cause double teams and are able to pass out of traps.”