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This time against Pitt, Christian tastes losing
Now, he knows how it feels to lose to the Panthers on the same national stage.
Christian was an assistant when the Golden Flashes upset Pitt in the Sweet 16 in 2002. It was considered an upset because the Golden Flashes were seeded 10th and were making their first appearance ever in the Tournament after three straight trips to the NIT. Kent State knocked off the third-seeded Panthers, 78-73, in Lexington, Ky., in one of the biggest upsets of the 2002 tournament.
It took four years, but fifth-seeded Pitt evened the score with the Golden Flashes in their first-round game in the Oakland Region with a wire-to-wire, 79-64, victory Friday at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Christian chucked when asked if there's a rivalry in the making.
"I take my hat off to them," Christian said. "A rivalry? I think it's two programs that have a lot of respect for each other."
Pitt guard Carl Krauser recalled watching the postseason loss to Kent State as a redshirt freshman seated in the stands.
"That loss stuck with me all the way up to this day," he said. "I definitely feel a sense of relief. I dreamed about it last night. It certainly feels good."
Panthers guard Ronald Ramon could see a sense of relief on Krauser's face after the game.
"It was personal for him," Ramon said. "He was here. He experienced it. He didn't want to feel that way again."
Christian's senior-dominated team exited the tournament the same way they got here -- by attempting 3-point shots.
Senior guards Jay Youngblood and DeAndre Haynes, the team's two top scorers, combined for 98 3-pointers in 228 attempts coming into the tournament.
Youngblood made 2 of 4 3-point attempts against Pitt and finished with 10 points.
"It's hard. I'm tired," Youngblood said. "I think we gave it all we had."
Haynes shot 2 for 10 overall and 1 for 5 from beyond the 3-point arc.
"You've just got to give credit to Pitt and all the shots they made," Haynes said. "Everything they were putting up was falling in."
Christian served as a Pitt assistant coach under former head coach Ralph Willard from 1996 until 1999.
Kent State center Nate Gerwig, a Schenley High School graduate, was the only player on the floor who played in the 2002 NCAA matchup between the two teams. Gerwig was 1 for 6 from the floor last night against Pitt and finished with three points.
