No. 1 Pitt ends UNC Asheville's VIP week
The North Carolina-Asheville Bulldogs sit on the bench during their game against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament. (March 17, 2011) Credit: Getty Images
WASHINGTON -- It may be true that any American can grow up to be president, but there is still no proof that a No. 16 seed will ever beat a No. 1 in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. The latest evidence was Pitt's thorough 74-51 thrashing of UNC Asheville, a team of the common man that had basked in VIP treatment leading up to yesterday's Southeast Regional loss here.
During its whirlwind progress through the NCAA's latest expansion phase, after it followed Saturday's Big South Tournament victory with Tuesday's overtime decision against Arkansas-Little Rock in the Dayton-based play-in game, Asheville was "feeling presidential," junior guard J.P. Primm said.
Its players, a humble third during the Big South's regular season, suddenly were riding charter planes, being afforded police escorts, getting air time on national TV, finding themselves fussed over in the nation's capital.
Nice while it lasted, but Pitt's bigger, more polished crew struck a blow for meritocracy, never trailing after the first minute of the game. Led by junior guard Ashton Gibbs' game-high 26 points -- including 6-for-9 on three pointers -- junior forward Nasir Robinson's 12 points and senior center Gary McGhee's game-high 11 rebounds, Pitt imposed its will almost casually.
Asheville (20-14) brought to the table of the NCAA feast what it could (including a pep band made up partially of professional musicians who are on the college faculty). And it inched within three points twice to start the second half, at 30-27 and 32-29 on junior guard Matt Dickey's barreling layup and two free throws. Gibbs' five quick points quickly reestablished control for Pitt (28-5), which crashed the boards for a 50-27 advantage.
"Ashton obviously shot much better in the second half ," Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said, "and I think just kind of opened it up. Our defense was pretty good throughout, but our offense kind of slowed us down in the first half."
Asheville's players had looked at the daunting challenge against the regular-season Big East champion, not "as a one-in-a-million chance," Dickey said, "but as a one-in-a-million opportunity." Alas, while Dickey scored 21 points and Primm added 14, the balance of power was obvious throughout.
"We knew they were going to be a really good team," Dickey said. "But this whole experience has been . . . it's been, amazing."
Presidential. For a couple of days, at least.
