Zanna records double-double in 2OT loss

A double-overtime thriller capped a night of exciting action during the fourth night of the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Pro-Am summer league at the Greentree SportsPlex. Pitt's Talib Zanna shined in the game, but his team fell short of the win.

SPK 81, The Lair 73

Despite being short-handed on the night, SPK jumped out to an early lead, committing only three turnovers in the game, as it grabbed Monday night's first win.

Lamar Patterson did not play Monday night for SPK while Mike Young missed a quarter of the game, but the team still had three players in double figures. A pair of Youngstown State teammates led the way as Kendrick Perry scored 16 points and Shawn Amiker chipped in with 15. Robert Morris' Jerimiah Worthen added 14 points.

SPK started hot and opened a 15-point lead midway through the first half following a pair of Worthen baskets and a Tom Droney drive. Those shots ended an 8-2 run for SPK, which cut the game open.

The Lair remained close the rest of the way. After cutting the lead to seven at halftime, West Virginia's Eron Harris scored five straight points to make it a 72-68 game with 6:21 remaining. However, SPK's clutch free-throw shooting and another pair of Worthen buckets put the game away late.

Harris led The Lair with 23 points on 8 of 13 shooting. Duquesne's Ovie Soko added 20 points and 18 rebounds in the loss.

South Hills Audi 92, UPMC 71

Josh Newkirk has continued to impress this summer, but sometimes it's the veteran leadership that wins out.

And Lance Jeter has plenty of that.

Jeter flirted with a triple-double, scoring 19 points, as Pitt alum Chevron Troutman's 23 tallies led South Hills Audi to victory in the night's second game.

Jeter - who shot 9 of 14 from the field - was effective in running the offense and pushing the ball in transition. He grabbed eight rebounds on the defensive end then pushed the action to the basket for easy layups. Even when he didn't score, Jeter found the open man on the break, recording seven assists.

Newkirk showed off his ability to penetrate Monday night, finishing with 23 points. He connected on 7 of 10 shots from the field and made all eight free-throw attempts. The Pitt freshman used a combination of creative drives, pull up jump shots and runners in the lane to make his mark.

However, Newkirk and the rest of UPMC's defense couldn't stop South Hills Audi's attack as the winning team shot almost 50 percent from the field and out-rebounded its opponent, 37-29, during the contest.

Pitt's Durand Johnson also had a solid night in the loss. He scored 21 points - including 3 of 6 from three-point range - and grabbed six rebounds.

GNC 82, PGT 76 - 2OT

The night's game was so close, it couldn't be decided in regulation.

Duquesne's Derrick Colter led GNC with 29 points - including nine tallies in the overtime periods - as his team held on after blowing a 17-point halftime lead to notch its first win of the summer in an double-overtime thriller.

The turning point came with under 30 seconds left in the second overtime when Kavon Stewart of Robert Morris made a heads-up, defensive play. As PGT tried to roll the ball up the court to save time, Stewart darted for it and made the steal. Duquesne's Jordan Robinson - who scored 16 points - followed Stewart's miss to grab an 80-76 win and put PGT away.

Pitt's Talib Zanna led PGT with 28 points and 17 rebounds, fighting through GNC's front court of Robinson and Darius Lewis all night. Robert Morris' Desjuan Newton added 17 points in the loss.

Overtime didn't seem realistic when GNC took a 42-25 halftime lead. However, the team only scored 14 points in the second half. PGT closed the gap by looking to Zanna early and often. He scored 11 of PGT's first 20 points of the second half.

With just over a minute left in the second stanza, Zanna found Britton Lee out of the post for a three to tie the game. Then, the Pitt redshirt senior knocked down a pair of free throws to put PGT up two with 23 second left. However, Colter drove the lane, making the bucket and drawing the foul. The Duquesne guard was unable to convert the free throw, which left the game tied at 59 to end regulation.

Though PGT had a four-point lead in the first overtime, GNC wouldn't go away. Robinson made a layup before Karvel Anderson put back Colter's miss to tied things up at 67 with five second left. PGT's Lee missed his three at the buzzer, which led to the second extra period.

Standings

1. SPK 4-0

2. The Lair 2-1

3. South Hills Audi 2-1

4. PGT 2-2

5. Oliverio's Peppers 1-2

6. GNC 1-2

7. UPMC 0-4