GAME NOTES: Coming off a tough 62-59 loss at Cincinnati, the 13th-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers will try to right the ship in New York City this evening, as they battle the St. John's Red Storm in Big East action at Madison Square Garden. Jamie Dixon's Panthers knocked off the tough Georgetown Hoyas last week, their third straight win, but could not sustain the momentum, suffering the three-point setback to the Bearcats. The loss dropped the Panthers to 15-3 on the season and 3-2 in league play. The Red Storm have had their problems this year. The team is just 7-9 overall and in an early hole in conference play at 1-4. St. John's has lost three straight games and five of its last six overall, including last week's 73-64 loss at West Virginia. This is the 51st all-time meeting between these two teams, with St. John's holding a 33-17 advantage. Pittsburgh and St. John's have split the last four meetings, but the Panthers haven't beaten the Red Storm at Madison Square Garden since 1995.

A 13-0 run in the second half for Cincinnati was the deciding factor in Pittsburgh's loss at Fifth Third Arena. The Panthers struggled to find their shot in the game, hitting just 41.8 percent from the floor and a mere 17.6 percent from behind the arc (3-of-17). Talented forward Sam Young didn't fall victim to shoddy shooting though, as he hit 9-of-20 shots from the floor to pace the team with 24 points. Young just missed a double-double, grabbing nine rebounds for a strong stat line. Keith Benjamin was the only other player to finish in double digits in the setback, scoring 11 points. It was only a matter of time before the losses of starters Levance Fields (foot) and Mike Cook (knee) would begin to cost the team. Cook is done for the season and Fields is probably still out for a least a couple of more weeks. The team has done its best to assuage the losses, but the numbers have dipped a bit. Young has been a force all year long and leads the team in scoring (18.2 ppg) on .519 shooting. He gets plenty of help in the frontcourt from freshman center DeJuan Blair (11.9 ppg, team-high 9.4 rpg). Fields and Cook combined for over 22 points per game and that production has not been absorbed by the rest of the team yet. Benjamin has done his best in an increased role, averaging 9.3 ppg, while shooting .403 from behind the arc (29-of-72).

Larry Wright came off the bench to score 15 points. Anthony Mason added 14 and Eugene Lawrence just missed a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds, but it wasn't enough in a nine-point loss at West Virginia. The Red Storm once again struggled shooting the ball, hitting just .396 form the floor. St. John's played to a 29-29 tie at the half, but the Mountaineers shot a scorching .591 from the floor after the break (13-of-22) to secure the win. The Red Storm held a 39-30 edge on the glass, but turned the ball over 17 costly times, resulting in 15 points for the home team. There hasn't been much room for error this season for St. John's, as the team is averaging just 66.8 ppg, while allowing 65.8. Justin Burrell is the team's top producer, leading the way in both scoring (12.4 ppg) and rebounding (7.3 rpg). Mason is nipping at his heels at 12.1 ppg, followed by Wright's 10.3 ppg.

The Red Storm seem to always play Pittsburgh tough in Madison Square Garden. However, the Panthers are probably itching to get back in the win column following the loss at Cincinnati and will do whatever is necessary to get the job done tonight.