2-23-15 by The Pitt News

Vol. 105 Issue 119

@thepittnews

Pittnews.com

Monday, February 23, 2015

Family, friends honor late Pitt student

Pitt group pays tribute to heritage, hosts national competition

Lauren Rosenblatt Staff Writer

Meghan Sunners | Staff Photographer

Elizabeth Lepro Staff Writer An all-female group of competitors paid homage to their Indian heritage through costumed dance and cultural stories. On Saturday night, Natya, a Rutgers-based team and winner of the dance competition, told the story of the god Krishna’s birth, whose parents, according to Hindu religion, had suffered the loss of seven other children at the hands of the evil ruler Kasma. The Dhirana executive board and committees of Pitt students and graduates hosted eight teams from across the country in a competition at Soldiers and Sailors on Saturday, Feb. 21. The all-female dancers — from Penn State, Johns Hopkins University and University of California, Berkeley — wore traditional Indian garb, some of them in red dresses with metallic bells that jingled as they danced. Pitt’s dance team, Nrityamala, did not compete in

the event because they were acting as hosts, but did perform twice. The event raised more than $8,000 for the Pittsburgh-based Birmingham Free Clinic, which provides free medical care to the uninsured and underinsured in Pittsburgh. Transforming from a wall of Kamsa’s angry guards, the women turned into a rhythmic ocean a moment later. The performers use facial expressions and hand gestures to act out stories that are specific to Hinduism, like the god Ganga’s descent to earth, as well as universal tales, like one about a young woman violated by a gang of men and shamed by her town. Each team put on performances for an audience that filled roughly less than half the auditorium, which seats more than 2,000 people. Akshaya Arjunan, secretary of the Dhirana Executive Board, was not able to provide an exact number of ticket sales by time of publication, she estimated the attendance was

about 800. A panel of eight judges, made up of professional dancers with extensive backgrounds, chose first-, second- and third-place winners at the end of the night. Akshaya Arjunan, secretary of the Dhirana executive board, said since sponsors — including Tamarind Flavor of India and the Outside the Classroom Curriculum — funded the program, Dhirana can donate 100 percent of the revenue from ticket sales to the Birmingham Free Clinic. Clinical Director Mary Herbert was at the event to express her gratitude for the more than $16,000 Dhirana has donated in the past two years, which helped to purchase a new EKG machine. The Dhirana board looked for a charity in the Pittsburgh area with a direct effect on Pittsburgh citizens and students.

Dhirana

George Daly couldn’t sing well, his friends say, but he loved to anyway. His favorite song to sing, according to his friends, was Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York,” even though he hardly knew any of the words. “It was a lot of mumbling the parts he didn’t know, and yelling the parts he did know,” Maura Barker, a sophomore and friend of Daly’s, said. Now, Barker won’t be able to hear Daly sing. Police found Daly dead in his Ward Street apartment at 11:34 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12. Daly was a sophomore molecular biology major and a brother of Pi Kappa Alpha. He enjoyed playing baseball and basketball — according to his mother, Nancy Daly — and knew how to tear up a dance floor. Freshman year floormates thought of him as their “captain,” but, above all, those closest to Daly called him a true friend. Nancy Daly wrote in an email that George was not only an avid sports fan who enjoyed the beach, music and traveling, but he also had people surrounding him who loved him. “George was uniquely blessed with a large posse of close friends and a loving family who, in turn, were made better by his presence,” Nancy Daly said. A person’s life is measured best by the impact he has on others, George’s sister Genny Daly, said at his funeral on Saturday, according to Nancy Daly’s email. “No words exist that can fully express George’s impact on those around him, whether it was a passing interaction or a deep friend-

Daly

2 FROM PAGE 1

DALY

ship,” Genny said in a statement at the funeral. “Talking to him gave you confidence in yourself and made you realize that there was always someone who saw the real you and accepted it.” Summer Jiries, a sophomore chemical engineering major, lived on the same floor as Daly last year and the two became close friends. She said she loved Daly and often spent the night at his apartment. Earlier this month, she decided to take a picture of him sleeping when she awoke the next morning. “It’s weird. I’ve seen him sleep a million times, but I decided to take a picture that time,” Jiries said. She woke George up, told him she loved him and left his apartment. Michael Knarr, one of Daly’s floormates freshman year, said he and the others endearingly referred to him as “floor captain.” “George electrified our lives with a blend of charisma, humor and kindness that lent light to the darkest of days,” Knarr, a sophomore nursing major, said. “I will keep him

February 23, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com alive in both my heart and my memory, and I hope that everyone who knew him does the same.” Daly held a special place in Mary Jacobs’ heart, too. Jacobs met Daly during their sophomore year at Hunterdon Central Regional High School in Flemington, N.J. The two dated on and off throughout high school and had remained close with him at Pitt. Jacobs, a sophomore neuroscience major, turned to Daly whenever she was in need. “I don’t have words for this stuff. Every day is like a new emotion that you’ve never felt before,” she said. “But they’re not all bad. Sometimes I’ll wake up and say to him [in my head], ‘You’re such a sh*thead.’ But then I’ll laugh about it because he’s sitting right there being like, ‘I know, Mary.’” As they grieve, the University will provide counseling for any friends or classmates who desire it, according to spokesman John Fedele. “The University community is saddened by George Daly’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends right now,” said Kenyon Bonner, interim vice provost and dean of students. While at Pitt, Daly continued to play

George Daly is remembered by his family and friends. | Photo courtesy of Summer Jiries

sports on his fraternity’s basketball team. Daly rushed Pi Kappa Alpha during his second semester at Pitt and joined the team right away. After he made the winning basket at the first game, no one questioned his skill. Jason Carne, one of Daly’s fraternity brothers, said Daly was the type of person that

everyone should have in their life. Carne and Daly pledged Pi Kappa Alpha together in a small, tight-knit pledge class, which Carne says was one of the best experiences of his life because of Daly. “George was a bit of a perfectionist and always tried to push the rest of us to not just

February 23, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 2

DALY

meet standards but exceed them,” Carne said. “He wasn’t the type to simply get through things. He wanted to excel in every aspect of his life and that rubbed off on all of us.” Carne said Daly was the first to volunteer for the toughest jobs and was always the first in line for community service and charity, which drove Daly to become president of his pledge class. “I’ll be beyond grateful every day for the time I got to spend as his brother and as his friend,” Carne said. Jacobs said Daly had a tendency to do “goofy things.” Daly asked her to prom their senior year of high school. After receiving a text message from Daly instructing her to come outside, Jacobs opened her door to see him, standing in front of his car, blasting R. Kelly’s “Ignition (Remix)” and singing to her with a rose in his mouth. “It was the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever seen, but that was him,” Jacobs said. She said yes to Daly’s prom proposal. “Everyone will tell you he’s the goofiest kid,” Jacobs said. “At first he’s quiet, but, once you get to know him, he’s really good at bringing groups of people together ... and he can always brighten your day.” Austin Knight, one of Daly’s two roommates, remembered Daly running down the hallways of Mark A. Nordenberg Hall, his residence hall freshman year, screaming various phrases out the windows, the most notable being “412” and “Pitt police protect and serve.” Daly’s loud personality had a way of making friends feel welcome. Barker said every time Daly greeted her, he opened his arms wide and screamed her name. Vincent Leahey, Daly’s second roommate, described Daly as incredibly unselfish, “always putting everybody’s else’s feelings before his, right up until the end.” “[We] played the Powerball last week, and the first thing I was going to do [if I won] was buy myself a car or something like that,” Leahey said. “But the first thing [George] wanted to do was buy his dad a small plane because he had his pilot’s license.” Jacobs’ fondest memories with Daly include going to all of his baseball and basketball

games and hanging out after every single one, regardless of the game’s outcome. After his death, Jacobs revisited the baseball field on which Daly used to play when she returned to their New Jersey hometown last weekend. She sat on the pitcher’s mound and talked to Daly. “Whenever you talk to him, you don’t need an answer, because you know what he would say. [Now it’s about] getting used to the new him,” Jacobs said. “I don’t know what I believe, and I don’t know if he’s up there or down here, but I know he’s listening.”

FROM PAGE 1

DHIRANA “We wanted to pick a charity close and dear to us,” Dhirana co-director Rushi Patel said. Dhirana emphasizes bringing classical Indian dance into the next generation, according to Arjunan, a senior neuroscience major and a member of Pitt PantheRaas. “Dhirana is making classical dance cool again,” the event’s program said. This goal was visualized at Dhirana as in-

3 troductory performance videos fused hip-hop with Indian rhythm and students cheered from the balcony for their respective competing schools and the night’s exhibition acts. Rutgers University took home the firstplace trophy, while the University of Maryland’s team, Moksha, won second. The University of California, Berkeley took third place and an award for the “most traditional and classical elements” from the night’s leading sponsor, the Srinivasa Prasad International Foundation for the Performing Arts. Read the rest online at Pittnews.com.

February 23, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

PITT PARTIES FOR A CURE Aubrey Cofield Staff Writer This weekend, Pitt students hit the dance floor instead of their books for an all-nighter. Pitt Dance Marathon lasted from noon on Saturday to noon on Sunday in the Cost Center. The annual fundraiser is part of Greek Week, a series of fundraising events that Pitt’s Greek Life has hosted since 2005. This year, participating groups raised $153,067.99 — more than the initial $100,000 goal and almost double last year’s total of roughly $82,000. More than 50 teams, who collected funds from friends and family members through email and letter campaigns, as well as donor drives, participated in the dance marathon. Songs like Beyoncé’s “XO” and Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” blasted during this year’s dance marathon, while students from various organizations danced, played games, talked with friends and cheered each other on. The event was an all-in effort to support the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, an organization that collects funds to donate to children in hospitals across the nation. PDM’s donations will go toward research, training, medical equipment and uncompensated care, according to its website, at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Each year, since its start in 2005, the event has gained more exposure, and organizers have tried to encourage non-Greek affiliated organizations involved. This year, organizations such as the Black Action Society and Pitt Pathfinders participated. “We had a very big increase in people, especially from non-Greeks,” Villanueva said. “There was a big criticism of PDM, that it was only a Greek event, so we really wanted to get the Nate Smith | Staff Photographer

ground running on targeting the nonGreeks, and they came out in full force, especially the freshmen.” This year, Villanueva credits the increase in non-Greek dancers and

Pitt Dance Marathon donations nearly double in 10th year, surpass goal

selves. For the non-affiliated freshmen, they come in the fall looking for things to do, so this is the first year we hit it big during orientation week. I think that made the difference, tar-

Nate Smith | Staff Photographer

moralers to PDM board’s efforts in targeting freshmen who are looking to get involved on campus. “I think it was more of us not understanding that they were busy them-

geting the freshmen who were looking for something to do,” Villanueva said. Villanueva said he and other members of PDM spent a year planning for the event, by making promotional vid-

eos, recruiting new dance marathon participants and fundraising. “It can be stressful, but I’m really happy how everything turned out so far,” Villanueva said during PDM. Ty Houy, a senior majoring in information science, began attending PDM as a freshman. This year, she was the “Greek Week Overall,” responsible for “answering questions relating to all things Greek Week.” Houy said she is passionate about supporting the Children’s Miracle Network. “The foundation that we are donating to is really a great opportunity. It lets the children have somewhat of a normal childhood, even though they’re in a hospital,” Houy said. According to Andrew Villanueva, co-president of PDM, approximately 570 people registered, and most were non-Greek students. This marked an uptick from the 385 people registered who registered last year to participate, according to previous Pitt News reporting. Villanueva said freshmen made up a large portion of non-Greek dancers and moralers. Dancers raised at least $150 and committed to 24 hours on their feet as part of requirements. The long hours dancing can become tiring for particpants, so moralers register to attend the event to cheer fellow dancers on. Moralers have to raise a total of $125 and only dance for eight hour shifts, which ensures refreshed dancers on the dance floor ready to cheer the other dancers on, Houy said, who is a former moraler. Lauren Nace, a junior majoring in communication and digital media, said dancing is the least she could do in support of kids who battle their whole lives with serious illnesses. “I’m dancing because the kids have to struggle, sometimes their whole lives, so I can put in one night to help them out,” Nace said.

See more photos of the marathon at Pittnews.com.

February 23, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

EDITORIAL

OPINIONS

ʻThe Hunting Groundʼ: Shooting to expose college rape culture

While you may watch them as you curl up with popcorn and friends, documentaries can play a major role in shaping public opinion. Films such as “Super Size Me,” “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Miss Representation” have educated the public on the harmful effects of fast food, climate change and underrepresentation of women in the mainstream media, respectively. “The Hunting Ground” is a new documentary that brings to light the epidemic of sexual assault at our nation’s colleges and universities. The film premiered at last month’s Sundance Film Festival and is scheduled to open in New York and Los Angeles on Feb. 27. Other cities will begin showing the film on March 13. Its trailer shows the struggle many women have faced in the wake of their assaults. The interviews and stories from these victims unite a group that too often remains silent and presents their stories in a poignant fashion. Its widespread viewing can encourage dialogue about areas many see as taboo or unfounded. The documentary is making headlines for its inclusion of Erica Kinsman, the 20-year-old woman who said she was raped by Florida State Quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner and expected top NFL draft pick Jameis Winston. Sexual assaults that don’t involve high-profile athletes or names are just as important to understand and investigate, and the nation has recently grown

more attentive. In recent months, the Department of Education’s civil rights office has investigated more than 90 colleges and universities for possible Title IX violations. These investigations are beneficial to the advancement of social justice. We can’t fully achieve this justice without a public that is more aware of continued injustice on our college campuses, most specifically concerning sexual assault. A high quality, easily accessible documentary can play a role in educating the public. “The Hunting Ground” is directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Kirby Dick, who directed the 2012 documentary “The Invisible War” about sexual assault in the U.S. military. Media such as Dick’s documentary could inspire victims of sexual assault and injustice to come forward and be heard. If victims see they are not alone, perhaps they will feel more comfortable working to prevent future injustices. Additionally, the public can learn from Dick’s documentary and be more sympathetic toward those violated and abused. Although growing investigations into Title IX violations on college campuses are helpful to victim justice, a documentary such as “The Hunting Ground” is essential to fostering significant public understanding of a serious problem too prevalent on our campuses and in society.

TNS

COLUMN

It’s time to move past race-based affirmative action Marlo Safi For The Pitt News

As a member of one of the smallest minorities in the U.S., Syrian, I resent the implications of affirmative action. I have immense pride in my heritage, but I resent the notion that I am inept and need assistance to compete with other students because of my race. I am not suggesting we do away with affirmative action. I am proposing we reform it. The issue is not in race, but socioeconomics. Earlier this month, attorneys for a former University of Texas applicant asked U.S. Supreme Court justices to reconsider race as a factor in college admissions. Abigail Fisher, who is white, applied to the University of Texas, which denied her admission even though she met the University’s

merit standards, including grades and test scores. The Supreme Court of the United States heard her case, Fisher v. University of Texas, in 2013. This case parallels those at other schools, such as University of Michigan, University of North Carolina and even Harvard. Cases such as 2013’s Fisher v. University of Texas are advocating the abolishment of affirmative action. The solution, however, lies in reform, not abolition. Race-based affirmative action is an anachronism and has only created a greater disparity among students. Race-orientated affirmative action does not solve any issues of racism in our country, nor does it aid the students who need our help — those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Students who are from dis-

advantaged backgrounds actually have an impediment that hinders their success, yet there are institutions that continue to focus on race, which takes away from the help they could give to socioeconomically underprivileged students. Race-based affirmative action also is counterproductive. We should hold all races to the same standard. Isn’t that real equality? Affirmative action is hardly a modern concept, with roots from the Reconstruction period after the Civil War. After the federal government abolished slavery, it wanted to establish equal opportunity for newly freed slaves. The practice re-emerged again in 1965 when President Johnson aimed to boost minority employment.

Safi

FROM PAGE 5

SAFI

During this period, the government operated under an “even the playing field” principle. This was imperative because of the clear and demonstrable effect of racism on the quality of minority education. But, in 2015, this breed of affirmative action is not effective, and colleges should shift their admission policy toward the students who need that help and would most likely not otherwise succeed. Holding all races to the same standard is, in fact, beneficial to minorities. Californians initiated Proposition 209 in 1996 to outlaw the discriminatory use of anyone’s race or gender in university admissions and employment, with opposition predicting that minority enrollment in colleges would decline. These predictions were false, and the numbers of black and Hispanic students actually rose in the decade that followed. These students entered programs at schools of their academic abilities and achieved success. Bachelor’s degrees awarded to black students at Cali-

February 23, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com fornia State University increased by 42 percent and bachelor’s degrees earned by Hispanic students increased a staggering 95 percent, according to the National Association of Scholars. This data distinctly demonstrates that race-based affirmative action is a policy designed for the ‘60s. Today, it can actually hinder the success of minority students who are placed in incompatible programs. Many cases like Fisher’s have appeared over the years and caused the emergence of groups like Students for Fair Admissions which believes that, “racial classifications and preferences in college admissions are unfair, unnecessary and unconstitutional.” They believe in upholding every principle of the American civil rights movement and Constitution, and affirmative action harms many students because of their race,

especially white and Asian-American students. They have challenged the affirmative action policies at Harvard and University of North Carolina, asserting their belief that diversity should be no excuse for racism. The vox populi of the left is that minorities cannot flourish on their own without affirmative action cradling them. Such an attitude is not just racist, but can be proved wrong by the Golden State itself. Students from poverty-stricken or broken homes should be receiving this advantage, and basing admissions on class actually hits two birds with one stone. According to the New York Times, with the socioeconomicsbased policy that gave preference to students from impoverished or disadvantaged backgrounds, seven out of 10 schools were able to maintain or increase the number of black and Hispanic students.

I am not suggesting we do away with affirmative action. I am proposing we reform it.

The Pitt News Crossword, 2/23/2015

ACROSS 1 *Onetime owner of Waldenbooks 6 TiVo predecessor 9 With 74-Across, what each of the answers to starred clues is 14 Ancient Asia Minor region 15 Mobile setting: Abbr. 16 __ trot 17 Ocean tracker 18 Listen 20 __ Balls: snacks 21 Hoedown honey 23 1841 French ballet heroine 24 Minn. winter hrs. 25 Gets into a seat 27 Compete for the America’s Cup 28 “Gotcha” 29 *Seller of Geoffrey Bandages 31 Tic __ mints 32 Speck 34 Ryder Cup chant 35 “Lux” composer 36 Austere 38 Halloween reactions 40 Spare pieces? 43 *Craftsman company 47 First name in shipping 50 Chalk holder 54 Price number 55 “Well, lah-di-__!” 56 ESPN Deportes language 58 Many a Persian 59 Stringed instrument 61 Big headache 62 “Who Gets the Last Laugh?” network 63 Running things 65 Excessively 66 Common flight path 67 Tom Jones’ last Top 10 hit 69 Birth-related 71 Let up 72 Up to, in store signs 73 Romantic text 74 With 9-Across, what the answers to starred clues form

This also diffuses the heat brought to the Supreme Court regarding affirmative action. The Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, which is the part of the 14th Amendment that guarantees every citizen equal protection under the law, is arguably infringed upon when students receive preferential treatment because of race. When shifting to prioritizing students from disadvantaged backgrounds, there is no breach in law. We live in a country that prides itself on equal opportunity, where hard work and merit are the ingredients to success and where we are supposed to be colorblind in this endeavor. Affirmative action based on race was critical 50 years ago, but now colleges should use it to help those students from impoverished backgrounds who otherwise may not thrive. We should aim to finally realize the principles our Constitution and civil rights movement are supposed to stand for that all people are created equally — and we must apply this in practice. Marlo Safi primarily writes about politics and public policy for The Pitt News. Email Marlo at mes260@pitt.edu

3/5/15

By C.C. Burnikel

75 It may have a patch 76 Discharge, as from the RAF DOWN 1 They catch busses at stadiums 2 NASA launch 3 Provide critical comments on 4 Fjord relative 5 *Bullseye logo company 6 Depressed areas 7 Progressive Field team, on scoreboards 8 Sounded right 9 Cartoonist Addams 10 Fine-tunes 11 Took courses at midnight? 12 Salad bar option 13 SensoTouch 3D shaver, e.g. 19 Neglect 22 Baseball’s Moises 26 Rebel org. 30 *Bergdorf competitor

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

33 Slip 37 “Way to go!” 39 “Captain Phillips” setting 41 Orchard unit 42 Take apart 44 Fats Waller contemporary 45 Border river, to Mexicans 46 *Costco rival 47 Counsels 48 Shower covering

3/5/15

49 “Fingers crossed” 51 Campus aides, for short 52 Trendy 53 Golf Galaxy buy 57 Ex-Soviet leader Brezhnev 60 Sore sort, maybe 64 Get one’s feet wet 68 Tinkering letters 70 Pub pint

February 23, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

SPORTS

WRESTLING

Backyard wrestling West Virginia tops Pitt in latest “brawl”

TROY REAGHARD

DROPPED HIS BOUT AFTER MOVING UP TWO WEIGHT CLASSES.

NATE SMITH | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Logan Hitchcock Staff Writer The West Virginia wrestling team traveled only 77 miles from Morgantown to Pittsburgh to add on to a disappointing season for the Pitt wrestling team. After falling to the No. 15 Michigan Wolverines earlier in the weekend, the Panthers (8-8, 2-3 ACC) closed out their dual season with a 24-14 loss to the rival West Virginia Mountaineers (9-9) in the “Backyard Brawl” at the Fitzgerald Field House on Sunday. Beginning at 149 pounds, Pitt sophomore No. 20 Mikey Racciato quickly got the Panthers on the board, dominating West Virginia’s Roman Perryman and earning a 13-4 major decision. At 157, the “Brawl” came to life as Pitt sent out redshirt junior Ronnie Garbinsky to take on West Virginia’s Brutus Scheffel. A highly contested 1-0 match became

the subject of much debate when Pitt head coach Jason Peters asked for a review during a third period takedown by Scheffel. A lengthy review went back and forth between the Pitt and West Virginia crowds and ended with the official awarding one point to Garbinsky due to a holding violation by Scheffel, making the score 3-2 in favor of Scheffel. “The crowd definitely got involved in the end,” Garbinsky said. “I heard them chanting, and it definitely helps. It takes your mind off being tired.” With a little extra motivation from the crowd, Garbinsky escaped from Scheffel’s grasp during the final moments of the third, forcing an overtime period. After keeping Scheffel down during the entirety of the first overtime period, Garbinksy started the second period on bottom and escaped only seven seconds in. However, due to a clock malfunction, the buzzer stopped action after the escape, sending the

crowd into another frenzy. Garbinsky recovered and held Scheffel at bay during the final 23 seconds of the second overtime period and earned himself a victory. On Pitt’s Senior Day, redshirt senior No. 8 Tyler Wilps quickly reminded the Panthers of his dominance over the course of his career. Wilps easily dissected West Virginia redshirt freshman Parker VonEgidy at 174 pounds and ended his dual career with a major decision. Despite it being his last home dual match, not much changed in terms of preparation for Wilps. “I went out there expecting to win, as I do most matches, and I got it,” he said. Nevertheless, he admitted that his last home dual match felt a little different. “It hasn’t really settled in,” Wilps said. “But, at the same time, it was exciting. I had fun out there.” Pitt redshirt senior Troy Reaghard

couldn’t follow up the big win with one of his own. Reaghard had a difficult task, wrestling up two weight classes for No. 2 redshirt senior, Max Thomusseit, who was out with an injury precaution. Reaghard battled for the match’s entirety, but could not do much against a much bigger wrestler, eventually yielding a 9-2 decision. The 11-6 score in favor of Pitt would be its last lead of the day, as West Virginia sophomore Jake Smith wasted no time in disposing of Pitt redshirt junior Nick Bonaccorsi, earning a fall early in the first period and giving West Virginia a 12-11 advantage. After the fall, much like Reaghard, Peters also had to send out redshirt freshman Ryan Solomon to wrestle above his weight class. Solomon, who typically wrestles at 197 pounds but is asked to wrestle up on occasion, was the crowd favorite during a modified David and Goliath rematch with

Wrestling

8 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

February 23, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

Poor second-half shooting costs Pitt game at No. 25 ‘Cuse Chris Puzia Sports Editor

The Pitt’s women’s basketball team lost its luck and the lead shortly after halftime in the Carrier Dome. Pitt, which led No. 25 Syracuse by six points at the half, went on to make only five more baskets en route to a 68-54 loss. The poor second-half shooting performance doomed the Panthers (18-9, 8-6 ACC) against No. 25 Syracuse on Sunday afternoon, as the Orange outscored the visitors 33-13 after halftime. Pitt shot 51.5 percent from the field in the first half, but shot 17.9 percent in the second half. Uncharacteristically, Brianna Kiesel did not lead Pitt in scoring. The senior point guard scored 11 points, while graduate student forward Monica Wignot paced the team with 14 points. Kiesel shot only one of seven from 3-point range and recorded three assists compared to four turnovers.

T P N S U D O K U

As a team, Pitt the offensive turned the ball over 19 glass. She also times, while Syracuse was the only only committed 13 turnplayer to stay overs. in the game for Pitt shadowed Syraall 40 minutes cuse (20-8, 10-5 ACC) and added five closely to open up the blocks and three second half, after leadsteals. ing 41-35 at halftime. Freshman But an 8-0 Orange run forward Stasha with eight minutes left Carey, who conin the game gave the tributed much home team a 56-50 lead of Pitt’s interior it would not relinquish. scoring, fouled Junior guard Brianna out of the game. Butler led Syracuse with She was the 19 points, but it was only Panther to sophomore center Brirecord doubleana Day who troubled digit rebounds the Panthers most. Monica Wignot scored 14 points on Sunday. with 11. Day scored 15 points Alyson Derrick | Staff Photographer Though the and grabbed a gamelead changed 11 high 18 rebounds, nine of which came off times over the course of the game, most of the

Today’s difficulty level: Very Hard Puzzles by Dailysudoku.com

flip-flopping came in a back-and-forth first half. The Orange used several short scoring runs to slowly pull away from the Panthers. Two separate 8-0 runs in the second half and an extended 12-6 run over the final seven minutes of the game iced the win for the home team. Much of Pitt’s late struggles came from its inefficiency on offense. Only one Panther shot even 50 percent from the field — Wignot, who made six of her 12 shots. Carey shot only four of 10 and freshman guard Aysia Bugg made one of her five shots in the game. Pitt’s shooting struggles also extended to the free throw line. The team shot only 42.9 percent from the line as a team, compared to Syracuse’s 64 percent. While Pitt is still in the running for an NCAA tournament spot — many projections currently have the Panthers in the tournament — a win in its next game would go a long way toward sealing that slot. The team next travels to South Bend to take on No. 4 Notre Dame on Thursday.

February 23, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

MEN’S BASKETBALL

BASEBALL

Jonesʼ production off bench sparks Pitt

Panthers drop two more in slow start

Chris Puzia Sports Editor

Mark Powell Staff Writer In its second weekend of play, Pitt’s baseball team lost two out of three games in the Wofford-USC Upstate Tournament to drop its record to 2-4 on the year. The Panthers had an inconsistent offensive display for the second straight weekend, scoring 10 runs in their lone win against the University of South Carolina Upstate, but only totaling seven in the other two games. The 2-4 start is a stark contrast to how the team began last season, as it went 4-2 against seemingly tougher opponents. Pitt head coach Joe Jordano sent staff ace to the pound against Wofford, as he looked for his second win of the year. T.J. Zeuch continued his strong pitching from his last outing, giving up only two earned runs and striking out eight over seven innings. Unfortunately for the sophomore righty, the Panthers didn’t give him much support, scoring only three runs. Sophomore outfielders Jacob Wright and Nick Yarnell led the way offensively for Pitt, with one hit and an RBI apiece. The lineup’s production was top-heavy on Friday, as the first five hitters reached base, while only one of the bottom four recorded a hit. Senior Hobie Harris came on in relief for Zeuch and walked three batters in less than an inning of work. Relief pitching may be a concern for this Pitt team, especially after losing several of its staff to graduation and the MLB. The team woke up from its offensive slumber on Saturday, beating USC Upstate 10-4. Senior outfielder Boo Vazquez started the scoring in the first inning, stroking a double into right field to give Pitt a 1-0 lead. After the first two innings, the teams were tied after trading runs in every frame.

Baseball

Chris Jones apparently did not take his role off the bench lightly. Jones, the sophomore guard who started earlier in the year when senior guard Cameron Wright was still recovering from a foot injury, hit five of his six 3-point attempts and scored 19 total points. The effort helped the Pitt men’s basketball team (18-10, 7-7 ACC) win in the Carrier Dome and keep its NCAA tournament hopes alive. “[Jones] is our best shooter,” Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon said after the game. “You need some guys to make some shots to get in the zone, and we have confidence in him.” Jones’ strong play on Saturday has continued a recent trend in Pitt’s success: the sophomores. Sophomore forwards Jamel Artis, Michael Young and Sheldon Jeter, along with Jones and guard Josh Newkirk, have all made significant contributions in Pitt’s recent NCAA Tournament push. Artis, specifically, has grabbed Panther fans’ attention by force this year, notably with his career-high 32 points in a win over Bryant on Feb. 2. After playing limited reserve minutes early in the season, Jeter has continued to earn more playing time, as he started in Saturday’s game. One of Jeter’s best games of the season came on Feb. 7 when Pitt hosted Syracuse, and the Vanderbilt transfer scored 18 points in 23 minutes off the bench. Young also had a strong game on Saturday, as he consistently matched up with the Orange’s best player, senior center Rakeem Christmas, who leads the team with 18 points and nine rebounds per game. Christmas still finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds, but Young hung with him offensively, scoring 14 points of his own. In fact, Pitt’s top three point totals on Saturday all came from sophomores, as Jones, Artis and Young chipped in 19, 16 and 14, respectively. Five of Pitt’s top seven scorers are sophomores, when Jeter and Newkirk enter the equation. Artis leads

Chris Jones shot 5 of 6 from 3-point range in Saturday’s win over Syracuse Jeff Ahearn | Assistant Visual Editor

Pitt with 13.1 points per game. Jones, who shoots 38 percent from 3-point range, also received praise from Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim after the game, though the coach attributed Jones’ success to defensive struggles. “He really hurt us down there,” Boeheim said. “We just let him have those open shots in the first half and enabled him to get control of the game.”

Dixon typically would expect better production from the rest of his bench — the other three Panthers who saw the court totaled 13 minutes between them — but Jones’ hot shooting kept him, and his team, in the game. “[ Jones] was terrific off the bench,” Dixon said. “I thought we had great perfor-

M Hoops

February 23, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

FROM PAGE 7

WRESTLING West Virginia’s A.J. Vizcarrondo at the 285-pound weight class. Solomon came up just shy, losing 2-1 by virtue of a riding time advantage for Vizcarrondo. Following Solomon’s loss, Pitt dropped FROM PAGE 9

BASEBALL The game would remain close until the eighth inning, when Pitt scored four runs to give the team a lead it would not relinquish. Junior Aaron Schnurbusch led the way offensively, going four for four from the plate in front of sophomore catcher Manny Pazos, who drove home two of the Panthers’ 10 runs. Pitchers Aaron Sandefur and Matt Pidich combined for the win. Sandefur gave up four runs over eight innings and struck out seven, while Pidich picked up his first win of the season with three innings of shutout relief. Despite an inspired offensive effort on Saturday, Pitt was on the receiving end of a 10-4 beating on Sunday against an impressive East Tennessee State team. Wright got the Panthers off to a good start FROM PAGE 9

M HOOPS mances off the bench from all of our guys, considering the foul trouble we had early and late throughout the game.” The four main contributing sophomores on Saturday — Artis, Jones, Jeter

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the 125-pound bout by major decision, the team’s fourth consecutive loss. Pitt trailed West Virginia 19-11 with only two matches left and needed bonus points via major decision or fall during the final two to have a chance at winning the dual. After getting a victory at 133 pounds from redshirt freshman Nick Zanetta, Pitt needed a fall from freshman Ben Ross at 141 pounds in order to secure a victory for with a base hit and a run scored in the first inning. The Pitt outfielder has recorded at least one hit in every game he’s played this season. While Pitt pitchers gave up 10 runs on Sunday, only six of those were earned because of two errors in the field. Schnurbusch, who went 4-4 from the plate on Saturday, could not replicate that effort on the mound, giving up seven hits and two runs over three-plus innings. Vazquez had two hits and drove in half of the Panther runs, but the two batters behind him failed to record a hit in seven at bats, leaving three men on base. The loss has set Pitt off to a mediocre start to the season, with far more important games creeping into view. The Panthers face off against Virginia Commonwealth University next weekend and then make a trip to Charlottesville to play College World Series runner-up Virginia.

the team. However, West Virgina’s No. 16 Michael Morales overmatched Ross, losing by technical fall, making the final team score 24-14 in favor of the Mountaineers. “We gave up too many bonus points throughout the day,” Peters said. “We’re missing some pieces, but we have to get better.” The Panthers, after winning

oving ountaineers t i rs

Since their last football face-off in 2011, Pitt and West Virginia have continued their “Backyard Brawl” in other sports. The results have been consistent:

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Women’s Basketball, 2/27/12

and Young — all shot the ball efficiently as well. Each player made more than 50 percent of his shots, as Jones shot a hyperefficient 7 of 10 from the field. Whether or not Pitt makes the NCAA Tournament, the recent play of these sophomores has been encouraging for Pitt fans hoping for greater success with the team in the future.

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their first eight ACC matches, have now lost three conference matches in a row. The team still will host the ACC Championships, where they look to defend their ACC Championship title from last year. The tournament will take place at the Petersen Events Center on Sunday, March 8.

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Baseball, 4/1/14

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Wrestling, 2/22/15

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