STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Carl Krauser scored a career-high 28 points and No. 11 Pittsburgh held off Penn State flurries in each half for an 84-71 victory Saturday and the Panthers' third 7-0 start in as many seasons.<br>
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The Panthers beat the Nittany Lions (5-4) for a fourth consecutive season in an intrastate series that has continued despite an interruption in their long-competitive football rivalry. But this one wasn't nearly as one-sided as the previous three seasons, when Pitt won by an average of 28 points.<br>
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Chevon Troutman and Antonio Graves scored 18 points each for Pittsburgh, which finally played a relatively close game after winning its first six by an average of 26.5 points. The Panthers trailed 30-29 late in the first half after leading 13-2 early and needed a Krauser-led 8-1 run with three backups on the floor to open a 60-47 lead after the Lions got it to 52-46.<br>
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Krauser seemed to pick up his game after three quick 3-pointers by Penn State freshman Mike Walker to start the second half, two from well beyond the arc. Krauser went on to score on three consecutive Pittsburgh possessions, using his quickness to get free for driving layups down the lane or jumpers from the wing while scoring 17 points in the second half. <br>
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From that point, Pitt - coming off a 19-point victory over Memphis in a neutral-site game in New York - kept double-digit leads most of the rest of the way in its first road game of the season. The Panthers scored the final six points in the last 1 1/2 minutes after Penn State closed to 78-71 on two free throws by Walker - his only points after his three quick 3s earlier in the half.<br>
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Krauser's previous career high was 26 points against Georgetown last season.<br>
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Aaron Johnson, Penn State's tallest starter at 6-foot-9, had 17 points but was held to two rebounds. Walker and Travis Parker scored 16 each and Marlon Smith had 13 for the Lions, who tried to keep it close by making 11 of 22 3-pointers to Pitt's 6-of-16. Walker was 4-of-9 and Parker 3-of-5 on 3s.<br>
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Troutman scored 13 of his 18 points in the first half, but his five second-half points came in succession during a 32-second flurry that upped Pitt's lead to 75-61 with 5:13 remaining. Chris Taft had 11 points, five rebounds and three blocks for Pitt.
