The No. 7 Pitt men's basketball team had a fever Saturday night, and that fever was the Providence Friars. Fortunately for the Panthers, they also had the cure in senior center Aaron Gray, who scored a game-high 22 points as Pitt won at the Petersen Events Center, 74-68, improving to 22-3 overall, 10-1 in the Big East.

Gray's 22 points came despite foul trouble that limited his minutes: in the first half, he scored nine points in just eight minutes; in the second half, he added 13 in 17 minutes.

"He's a tough out down there," Providence coach Tim Welsh said after the game. "He's got the whole combination of size, strength, experience, and he's got quickness now. And on top of that he's a smart player."

Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said that Gray was the plan all along.

"We did some good things as far as getting the ball inside and that's what we wanted to do," Dixon said. "We got the ball inside and he finished well."

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