Pittsburgh, PA.  The Notre Dame Men’s Basketball Team upset the #2 Ranked Pittsburgh Panthers at Petersen Events Center in a Big East showdown for Conference supremacy. The Big East is in all likelihood the premier Conference as far as national rankings go. The Big East has 7 Teams ranked in the top 25 nationally, and experts predicting the Big East will send 11 teams to the big dance in march.

Ben Hansbrough and his Notre Dame Fighting Irish scored a big time, big win, on a big stage. Hansbrough scored 19 points, and Teammate Carleton Scott added 16 points to lead the Fighting Irish to a big win on the road. Pittsburgh was ranked #2, and sitting atop the Big East standing’s at 7-0, and 19-1 for the season. The Irish, and Hansbrough came into Pitt tonight, and let it all hang out. Hansbrough was knocking down jumpers from all area’s of the court, helped spark his Fighting Irish, and snapped a 20 game home win streak for the Pitt Panthers.

The Irish employing a methodical, plodding game plan they call ” Burn” won the third game of a series with Pitt. The Irish won for the first time at Petersen Events Center where Pitt has won  51 of 52 home games. Hansbrough said, “This is probably the best win I’ve had… maybe ever.” Irish Coach Mike Brey said, “We knew that if we did not concentrate at the end of the clock, we would lose by 15 here like everybody else does,  they’re really good. They’re are hard to guard. They’re really hard to keep off the boards. This was the absolute road challenge for us.”

Leading the Irish was Ben Hansbrough with 19 points, and 4 rebounds, 7 assists, and Carleton Scott with 16 points, and 9 rebounds, and Scott Martin with 10 points respectively. The Pittsburg Panthers were Lead by Gilbert Brown with 13 points, and 6 rebounds, and Brad Wannamaker with 12 points, and 5 rebounds for Pitt. This was a good win for Coach Brey and his talented shooting Irish. Pitt Lead by 5 at the intermission, but then was out shot by Hansbrough and the Irish in the second half 33-23.

Pitt is 19-2 overall and 7-1 Big East, Notre Dame is 6-3 Big East and 17-4 overall for the season. The Irish were 48% from the floor to Pitts 40% shooting from the field. The hot shooting Irish shot 68% from the charity stripe, and 50% from behind the 3 point line. Pittsburgh out rebounded the Irish 28-21. This was a big win for Coach Brey and The Irish as they look to win the Big East Conference Title.

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