Padgett Helps Cards Hold On to Edge Pitt

[February 25, 2008]  PITTSBURGH (AP) -- David Padgett made three of four free throws in the final 32.1 seconds and No. 18 Louisville moved back into a first-place tie in the Big East, holding on to beat Pittsburgh 75-73 Sunday for its seventh consecutive victory.

Padgett finished with 21 points and reserve Edgar Sosa had 15 of his 18 points in the first half as Louisville (22-6, 12-3) regained a share of the conference lead with No. 12 Georgetown (22-4, 12-3) and became the first visiting team to win twice at Pitt since the Petersen Events Center opened in 2002.

Sam Young and DeJuan Blair scored 20 points each for Pitt (19-8, 7-7), which once was 15-2 but has since skidded into an eighth-place tie in the Big East by losing three in a row and six of 10. Pitt had lost three straight only once previously in coach Jamie Dixon's six seasons, to Villanova, West Virginia and Connecticut in February 2005.

Pitt never led in the second half -- the Cardinals led by as many as eight -- but Blair got the Panthers back to within a point at 71-70 by making two free throws with 21.6 seconds remaining. After Padgett responded by making both ends of a 1-and-1, Blair unwisely tried to score inside and missed with 7 seconds left as Pitt needed a 3-pointer to force overtime.

Earl Clark missed a free throw for Louisville, but the Cardinals' Andre McGee rebounded on the wing, was fouled and sank both foul shots with 5 seconds remaining to push the lead to five. Ronald Ramon hit a long but meaningless 3 for Pitt just ahead of the buzzer.

Padgett bounced back after being limited by foul problems to one shot and one point during a 61-50 win over Syracuse on Monday. He averaged 16.3 points in the Cardinals' previous three games.

Louisville, positioning itself for a high seed in the Big East tournament, won its ninth in 10 games and improved to 8-2 on the road. The Cardinals have won their last 12 games in February, seven this month.

Point guard Levance Fields scored eight points in his first start since breaking a foot Dec. 30, but Pitt lost for only the second time in its last 18 home games.

Louisville, which shot 57.7 percent (30-of-52), fell behind 16-12 after Pitt went on a 9-0 run, but the Cardinals came back with its own 9-0 run to take a 21-16 lead. It was Louisville's 41st run of 8-0 or more in its 28 games.

Sosa's effective shooting helped the Cardinals open the game's biggest lead at eight points, at 44-36 early in the second half. He made six of eight shots in the first half, including a pair of 3-pointers.

Sosa, averaging 7.9 points, didn't score in the second half until his 3-pointer with 9:02 remaining keyed a 10-3 run that made it 59-51. Derrick Caracter added an important basket during the run, rebounding Sosa's miss with one hand before scoring on a putback for a 54-51 lead. Sosa followed with his 3, and David Padgett scored inside.

Pitt came back to get within three at 61-58 on Blair's three-point play. Juan Palacios' only five points of the game were a key after that, as he twice scored inside and added a free throw as the Cardinals took a 68-62 lead with 2:20 to play.

[Associated Press; By ALAN ROBINSON]

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