Pitt Basketball: Jim Boeheim Unaffected by Rowdy Crowd at Petersen Events Center
PITTSBURGH -- Fans sold out the game weeks in advance, arrived early and stood in line for hours. The most anticipated gameday for the Pitt Panthers at the Petersen Events Center had arrived and fans - particularly those in the Oakland Zoo - used every second of their evening in the arena to jeer Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim, freshman guard and one-time Pitt commit Judah Mintz and the rest of the Orange.
A rivalry that already had decades of history behind it got some extra juice from some comments Boeheim made earlier this month, claiming that Pitt had "bought" the team that beat Syracuse 99-82 to complete a season sweep.
The appearance of fake money with Boeheim's face photoshopped on the center of the bills was evidence enough that Pitt fans were eager to provide an in-person response to the allegations that Boeheim has since apologized for and walked back, but Boeheim doesn't think his comments added anything to the atmosphere.
“I would say it was exactly the same as the last time we played here when they had a full house," Boeheim said. "It’s been a while [since they had a full house].”
Boeheim has faced his fair share of hostile, pro-Pitt crowds at the Petersen Events Center and Fitzgerald Field House and said this is what he has come to expect when he travels to face good Panther teams.
“They’re a good crowd, they’ve always have been," Boeheim said. "It doesn’t bother me. I mean, come on. Seriously?”
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