Ug-leee

It could have happened. I'm tempted to say it should have happened.

No. 1 seed Pitt coulda/shoulda gone down. Those kids from East Tennessee will have to live with the knowledge that they could have been the first 16 seed to knock off a number one if only they had simply made a couple of layups or a few more free throws. It's amazing how close they came to beating Pitt on a day when they were so abominable on offense.

East Tennessee simply out-fought and out-scrapped Pitt, which enabled the Buccaneers to stay in the game for more than 38 minutes while shooting 30 percent (23-75) from the floor. including 24 percent (9-37) in the first half. East Tennessee's three best players, Courtney Pigram, Kevin Tiggs and Mike Smith, shot a combined 27 percent (16-58). But here they were, down by just 2 at 57-55 and in possession of the basketball with 4:20 remaining.

Kevin Tiggs is 6 feet 4 inches worth of spunk and gristle. He's got a back story that will either break your heart or inspire you to chuck it all and go work for a humanitarian society.
But he also reckless and foolhardy, which is apparently what promoted him, on what had to be the most important possession of the game at that point, to set off an a foolish mission to the basket that resulted in a totally unanswered prayer that never came close to hitting the rim.

You knew what would happen next. Dejuan Blair powered in for a 3-point play at the other end. Now it was a 5-point deficit, and things would never be the same again, although the Bucs were still alive on the scoreboard with a minute and a half remaining. We had the predictable foul-a-rama ending..

So why were they in the game? Try 18 Pitt turnovers (13 in the first half) and an astonishing 20 offensive rebounds, leading to 25 second-chance points. (Imagine East Tennessee's percentage of first shot attempts). Nobody gets 20 offensive rebounds on Pitt. But East Tennessee, champs of the Atlantc Sun, did. They led to a whopping 75-55 shots attempted differential.

Many of those turnovers came via a press. If Pitt really is that susceptible to a press, some awfully long evenings or afternoons lie ahead for the Panthers.

"We're very disappointed, because we felt we could win," said coach Murry Bartow. "We just couldn't get over the hump, you know?"

Yeah, we know.

Blair finished with 27 points ad 16 rebounds, but what else is new? He is the best post player in America, If he had brought anything less than his usual A-game, Pitt would have made history. Bad history.