PITTSBURGH -- Plenty of the numbers from Pittsburghs breezy 99-80 victory over Gardner-Webb looked pretty.And none of them mattered to coach Kevin Stallings. Sure shooting 54 percent and never being challenged on Monday night was nice, especially three days after needing double-overtime to hold off Eastern Michigan in Stallings coaching debut with the Panthers. Yet Stallings is more concerned about whether his team is ready for a far sterner test on Thursday against SMU at Madison Square Garden in the 2K Classic.You look at our defensive numbers, they were indicative of a team that was not really wired into play, he said. Thats my fault. Thats my job.Cameron Johnson scored 18 points and made all four of his 3-point attempts for Pitt (2-0). Michael Young put up 18 points and seven rebounds in 15 minutes after being held out of the starting lineup for only the second time in his career due to a minor violation of team rules. Sheldon Jeter added 14 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.Still, the Panthers led the Runnin Bulldogs trade baskets early in the first half and for long stretches in the second. Stallings wonders if his players are getting a little too caught up in the free-flowing offense Stallings brought with him from Vanderbilt.Maybe Ive sent the wrong message about tempo and offense and things like that, Stallings said. Were not ready to beat anybody thats equivalent to us in terms of talent because we dont sustain any type of defensive intensity.At one point in the first half, Stallings pulled the entire starting five off the floor in frustration.I think he just wanted more effort and energy, Johnson said. He cited a lack of focus for that.Not that much was required over the final 30 minutes after a 10-0 burst that included a pair of 3-pointers by Johnson to give the Panthers a 30-14 lead that was never threatened.RUNNIN WITH THE PANTHERSLaQuincy Rideau finished with a career-high 23 points for Gardner-Webb (0-2) while adding eight rebounds and six assists. David Efianayi scored 20 points and Liam OReilly chipped in 14. The Runnin Bulldogs spread the floor to provide Rideau with room to slice his 6-foot-1 frame through the lane.I felt there was little more space where maybe we could attack the paint off the dribble, Gardner-Webb coach Tim Craft said. The problem is we werent converting. Some of the finishes were a little wild.BIG MAN DEBUTPitt junior Rozelle Nix made his long-awaited debut after missing last season with a foot injury. The 6-foot-11, 300-pound Nix entered with just over 4 minutes left and finished with four rebounds and on emphatic block on Gardner-Webbs DJ Laster that sent Nixs teammates erupting off the bench.He got me once like that once, Jeter said. Im not ashamed to admit it. Im not afraid to admit it.BIG PICTUREGardner-Webb: After managing just 44 points in a lackluster loss to SMU in the opener last week, Gardner-Webb was happy to try and keep pace with Pitt in what Craft called a learning experience for a young team that will rely on Rideau and Efianayi -- both sophomores -- to carry some of the scoring load.Pitt: Despite the defensive issues, the Panthers seem to have quickly embraced what Stallings wants to do on the other end of the floor. The Panthers made 13 of 26 3-pointers and finished with 29 assists on 35 field goals.UP NEXTGardner-Webb: plays Eastern Michigan in Indianapolis on Friday.Pitt: faces SMU on Thursday at Madison Square Garden. 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LOUIS -- Lance Lynn was one of the more enthusiastic participants as the St. TORONTO -- The Memphis Grizzlies will be dealing with yet another injury when they play the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday at the Air Canada Centre.Point guard Mike Conley is expected to be out for about six weeks with a broken bone in his back.It is bad news for the Grizzlies (11-7), who will be facing a Raptors team that was able to rest some players down the stretch in a 122-95 home win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.The Raptors (11-6) are 5-3 at home and the Grizzlies are 6-3 on the road.Memphis has lost two of its last three after winning six straight. The Raptors have won three in a row.Conley was injured during the third quarter of the 104-85 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Monday after taking a charge from Michael-Kidd Gilchrist.The Grizzlies said that Conley was diagnosed with transverse fractures in the vertebrae located in his lower back. The injury is expected to resolve itself with rest. Conley is expected to miss six weeks and will be re-evaluated in four weeks.Conley scored seven points in the first four minutes of the third quarter in trying to lead a comeback from a 56-39 disadvantage at the half. The deficit had been cut to 11 points when Conley was injured. He left with 14 points and five assists.There was another setback with Mike leaving the game, Memphis guard Tony Allen said. A lot of guys looked like they were worried. I think the game got away from us at that point.At that point you are only concerned about that guys health, center Marc Gasol said. You just worry if he is OK or not.The Grizzlies said that Vince Carter also was injuured early in the fourth quarter on Monday.dddddddddddd. Carter, a former Raptors star, suffered a right hip flexor strain. He traveled with the team to Toronto and will be listed as questionable for the game.The Grizzlies already have plenty of absences. Chandler Parsons, James Ennis and Brandan Wright are out with injuries. Zach Randolph has missed the past three games after the death of his mother last week.Meanwhile, the Raptors had better news on the injury front. Center Jonas Valanciunas did not play in the fourth quarter Monday because of a minor ankle injury. The ankle was rewrapped and he could have returned but coach Dwane Casey rested him with the game well under control.Hes OK, Casey said.The Raptors concern has been the defensive part of their game. They have kept the opposition under 100 points the past two games. Casey is still not satisfied.We had a lot of defensive mistakes, Casey said Tuesday. Our defensive fundamentals, weve got to continue to work on.The Raptors easily defeated Philadelphia despite getting only 14 points from DeMar DeRozan, who has been averaging 30 per game.Teams are sending extra bodies to him, Casey said. They stay a little longer on the pin-downs.Kyle Lowry led the Raptors with 24 points and Terrence Ross scored 22 off the bench as six players hit double figures.Consistency has been huge for him, Casey said of Ross. I know he had 22 points but the most important thing is his defensive focus. Cheap Authentic Jerseys Discount NFL Jerseys Wholesale NFL Camo Jerseys Cheap NFL Autographed Jerseys China Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Store China Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Throwback Jerseys Cheap Stitched Jerseys China NFL Hoodies Cheap Authentic Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Camo China NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China ' ' '
