PITTSBURGH — Ashton Gibbs scored 21 points, helping No. 19 Pittsburgh upset No. 3 Villanova 70-65 on Sunday.
Gilbert Brown added 16 points, including a thunderous dunk off a baseline move with 1:29 left that gave the Panthers (21-6, 10-4 Big East) a six-point lead.
The first meeting between the teams since Villanova’s dramatic NCAA Tournament win last year turned out to be another typical, physical Big East matchup. Last season, star guard Scottie Reynolds’ last-second dash to the basket gave the Wildcats a 78-76 win to send them to the Final Four.
This time, the Panthers built up enough of a cushion to prevent Reynolds from repeating his late-game heroics.
Reynolds finished with 20 points, and his three foul shots with seven seconds left got the Wildcats (22-4, 11-3) within three.
But Pitt withstood Villanova’s late pressure.
“I wanted to win that game for the players that left last year,” said Pitt guard Jermaine Dixon, one of only two seniors on this year’s squad. “I felt bad for losing that game and I felt responsible. I definitely wanted to win that game for them.”
Reynolds spent most of the first half on the bench with two fouls and had to fend off harassing defense from Dixon much of the afternoon.
Still, the Wildcats have showed that they can’t be counted out in tight games — not with Reynolds on their side.
He scored 17 points in the second half, hitting 3s and drawing fouls to keep Villanova within striking distance. But Pitt had an answer every time the Wildcats came within a basket.
