PITTSBURGH -- OK, so nobody's perfect: Pitt senior Chevon Troutman finally missed a shot against St. Francis. He didn't do much else wrong against an opponent that still hasn't figured out how to beat the Panthers.
Troutman led a decisive 17-2 run late in the first half and scored 22 points as No. 13 Pittsburgh remained unbeaten against St. Francis, Pa., with a 65-41 victory Wednesday night.
Troutman made four free throws and Antonio Graves, Carl Krauser and Ronald Ramon hit 3-pointers during the run, which pushed Pitt from a 17-all tie into a 34-19 lead. The Panthers (4-0) coasted after that -- certainly nothing new against the Red Flash (2-2).
The Panthers are 28-0 against St. Francis, which is located about 75 miles east of Pittsburgh, and 61-0 against Northeast Conference schools. Pitt has outscored St. Francis by an average of 22 points the last four seasons.
Troutman also had 13 of Pitt's 36 rebounds, three blocked shots and three steals, and constantly overpowered St. Francis' smaller frontcourt after posting up near the basket for high-percentage shots.
"He's been as valuable a player as any we've had in the last five years," said Jamie Dixon, a former Pitt assistant before becoming the head coach last season. "He seemed to take them out of their rhythm as the game went along."
Troutman made eight of 11 shots and is 16 of 19 against the Flash the past two seasons, going 8-of-8 while scoring 18 points in a 90-69 decision last season. Teammates Aaron Gray and Krauser see Troutman play with the same intensity every day in practice
"It's not like he's beating up on you and taunting you ... he works very hard and tries to make you better," said Gray, who added eight points and five rebounds in nine minutes. "He's amazing to have on the court. He had, what 22 points and 13 rebounds, yet the things he does you can't really put into numbers."
With Troutman around, Krauser said there is never a worry that practice will be too relaxed.
"When you practice with him, you realize what a monster he is," Krauser said. "He hustles, he dives on the floor for loose balls, he's like a big guard out there."
No doubt St. Francis coach Bobby Jones is glad he won't have to coach against Troutman again.
"He and (6-10 teammate) Chris Taft have to be two of the best inside post players in the country," Jones said. "You knew Troutman would be the difference in the game."
Krauser added 10 points despite missing 8 of 12 shots, while Darshan Luckey led St. Francis with 19 points after scoring 23 against Pitt last season. Taft, averaging 15 points, was limited to four points and two rebounds in 19 minutes.
Pitt closes its locker room after a game, and Troutman chose not to speak to reporters.
Pittsburgh began playing all of its neighboring Pennsylvania Division I schools in recent seasons, and has already beaten Robert Morris and St. Francis, with Duquesne (Saturday) and Penn State (Dec. 11) still to play.
The Panthers, who have yet to allow an opponent to score 60 points this season, have won 19 consecutive games against non-Big East opponents and are 39-1 at home since opening the Petersen Events Center two years ago. Their average winning margin against lightweight opposition this season is 27 points.
