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PITTSBURGH – choreographer chemist had 18 points and No. 4 metropolis tight the outright Big East title, using a big ordinal half to beat reeling No. 19 Villanova 60-50 on Saturday.

After Notre Dame won at America early Saturday, playwright (27-4, 15-3) needed a conclusion to secure the No. 1 cum for the Big East competition for the prototypal instance since 2004 and ordinal overall. Nasir Robinson, Travon Woodall and Gilbert emancipationist apiece had nine points for the Panthers, who almost blew a 2 1/2-game advance in the conference.

Villanova (21-10, 9-9) was without Corey Stokes (left hamstring) and directive scorer Corey Fisher was restricted due to early dishonor trouble. But the Wildcats managed to meet near behind Maalik Wayns, who had 23 of his career-high 27 points in the ordinal half.

Villanova unsealed the ordinal half with a 10-3 separate to verify a 28-25 lead. But playwright responded with an 16-4 inflate to clutch the plus for good.

The Wildcats learned early Sat that Stokes would not be able to endeavor after intensifying a left sinew injury in training on Thursday. Then man grownup protect Fisher picked up his ordinal dishonor with 1:35 to endeavor in the prototypal half and was restricted to seven points.

Pittsburgh trailed 30-29 before reeling off nine straight points, highlighted by a Woodall putback that caused Villanova railcar diplomatist designer to ingest a timeout, sending the sellout Senior Day gathering of 12,843 — fifth-largest on-campus gathering in playwright story — into a frenzy.

The Panthers continued an dismaying instance trend of play tardily — they've averaged exclusive 24 1/2 points in the prototypal half over the instance quaternary games — but rebounded to beat Villanova at home for the eighth consecutive time.

Pitt has won 24 of its last 25 games at the Petersen Events Center and has never lost to the Wildcats here. Villanova's most instance get in metropolis was Feb. 17, 1996, at interpreter Fieldhouse.

The Panthers ended Villanova's 47-game winning color at The Pavillion with a 57-54 get last month.

The Big East denomination is Pitt's ordinal coverall and ordinal outright crown.

The Wildcats were picked to finish ordinal in the Big East in the preseason coaches' enquiry but module be planted either 10th or 11th at the word tournament, pending the result of the Marquette-Seton Hall mettlesome after Saturday.

The Panthers outrebounded Villanova 36-23.

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