With 14 minutes 43 seconds left in the game, Jaron Brown’s three-pointer from the right baseline merely extended a four-point Pittsburgh lead to seven.
Logic dictated there was plenty of time left for Notre Dame to reclaim the momentum. Instinct, though, was screaming that it was over.
With forward Torin Francis out of the game with lower back spasms, Chris Quinn in a shooting slump and Chris Thomas trying to carry the offensive load by himself, overcoming fourth-ranked Pittsburgh was simply too much to ask.
Notre Dame (10-9, 4-5 Big East) lost to the Panthers 66-58 Saturday night at the Joyce Center. It was the first time the Irish have dropped a home game to Pitt (22-1, 8-1) since Jan. 6, 1998.
“The game was basically decided by toughness,” said Pittsburgh sophomore guard Carl Krauser, who led the Panthers with 19 points. “We wanted to come in and get a win for our seniors.”
Early on, that seemed like a questionable prospect. The Irish, riding a wave of three Thomas three-pointers, jumped to a 15-2 lead five minutes into the game.
With three minutes left in the first half, Tom Timmermans’ layup made the score 32-24, Irish. But it would take Notre Dame 19 minutes to score its next 15 points.
“We wanted to establish ourselves at home,” said a dejected Thomas.
The loss of Francis, who had scored four points and snagged four rebounds in the first nine minutes, was especially acute.
Timmermans played 28 minutes in Francis’ place and scored eight points on 2 of 9 shooting. And Rick Cornett edged his way back onto the floor, coming up with one rebound in five minutes.
Torrian Jones added 12 points by making 5 of 6 shots.
But Quinn, after scoring 25 points in Wednesday’s loss at Boston College, wasn’t able to provide the scoring support Thomas (game-high 23 points) needed. Quinn added just three free throws while going 0-for-8 from the field.
“We really need those two guys playing well together to have a chance in this league,” Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said.
Brey said much the same to Quinn after the game. With No. 5 Connecticut set to roll into the Joyce Center on Monday night, the Irish can’t afford to dwell on Saturday’s disappointment.
Thomas, who has played much of the season with a deep bone bruise under his left kneecap, will have to keep up his scoring pace. Quinn, suffering from vacillating confidence, will have to regain his rhythm.
And the Irish, with or without Francis, will have to regroup quickly.
“We know what we have to do,” Quinn said. “We have one of the best teams in the nation coming in and we have to bounce back.”
