I think this win is very good for Pitt if the team is fully aware that they are going to get every team’s best shot. This is the year, everyone knows who they are and wants to be the one to take them down. This is the year, they have a chance to move into UConn/Syracuse territory. The marquee Big East team everyone else is circling on the schedule to see and measure against. They got that today. If they don’t learn that lesson, then it was just a win, but not much else.
Buffalo is a good team. They did lose badly to Evansville, but also took out Temple and Miami (FL) (who has beaten GT). The Bulls have gotten into the NIT and actually won there. The Buffalo players expected to win and were disappointed with falling short.

“It’s bitter,” Idbihi said. “We had a chance to beat the No. 2 team in the country. We have a feeling that we just gave it away.”

Pitt led in the game for maybe 5 minutes. Of course, all that matters is leading at 00:00.

One thing that helped Pitt really comeback, was the fact that Buffalo took and missed so many  3s in the second half. They were only 1-11. That allowed Pitt to keep playing the deliberate style that keeps the tempo down the way they like.

Some of why Buffalo rushed shots had to do with fatigue. Their 5 starters logged 181 out of the possible 200 minutes. Pitt had the starters go only 153 minutes and 8 players had double-digit playing time.

Sorry to be late. Lots of work to do today.

Not a great showing in the first half. Down 42-35. Buffalo is hot. Really hot. The Pitt offense got off to a horrible start. Down by 11 several times. It also sounds as if the defense was quite shaky (to be kind). Mike Cook seems to be the one that kept Pitt in the game. Taking over for key shots and making some nice passes to the open man. Pitt got it within 5 with a few minutes left, then fell back.

Dick Groat sounds like he’s going to lose it about how bad the Pitt defense is playing in a 2-3 zone. Pitt got out of it shortly before the half. Didn’t seem to make that much of a difference.

Let’s see what happens in the second half.
FINAL UPDATE: Okay. 70-67 Pitt wins on a comeback.
As Dave in Orlando pointed out, Pitt has to know every team is going to come at them with the best shot.

Buffalo was a good team that really wanted it. Pitt made a slow steady comeback. Not a flurry or an extended run. Just a slow steady climb out of the hole they dug for themselves.

This is a good win, as long as Pitt realizes they just cannot take any team lightly. They have a week off to get ready for Wisconsin (oh, and take finals).