Fifteen games, 605 minutes of Big East play has decided nothing for the Pitt basketball team. The goal the Panthers have been working toward since the season began in November is boiled down to 40 minutes against one of their newest and fiercest rivals.

The only thing that stands between No. 12 Pitt and at least a share of the Big East regular-season championship is the No. 20 Marquette Golden Eagles, who play host to the Panthers at 9 p.m. today in a nationally televised game on ESPN.

"Everyone is excited," sophomore forward Tyrell Biggs said. "We just have to go out and take it."

Pitt and Georgetown are tied atop the Big East standings with 12-3 records. Georgetown plays Connecticut at noon today, so the Panthers will know well in advance of their game whether they are playing for a share of the title or an undisputed championship.

Pitt has won or shared five Big East regular-season championships in its 25 years in the conference. The Panthers most recently won the title in 2004 with a 13-3 record. Pitt's seniors -- Antonio Graves, Aaron Gray and Levon Kendall -- were freshmen on that team.

"I have one ring already, but it would definitely be a pleasure to get another one with this group of guys," Graves said. "We definitely deserve one."

Pitt had been alone or tied atop the Big East standings until losing Saturday at Georgetown.

That put the Panthers in second place for two days until Georgetown lost at Syracuse Monday and Pitt won its home finale against West Virginia Tuesday.

"We definitely want it bad," Graves said. "Second chances don't come too often. We definitely have to take advantage of that and capitalize on it."

If the Panthers want to win another conference championship they'll have to do it against a team that has given them fits the past two years. Marquette has won two of the three meetings between the two schools since joining the conference last season and each game has been hotly contested.

The combined margin of victory for all three games is 11 points. Marquette beat Pitt in overtime, 77-74, in January at the Petersen Events Center.

In that game, the Panthers had trouble containing Marquette's guards. Sophomore Dominic James scored 23 points, including the winning points from the free-throw line with one second remaining in the overtime period.

Fellow guards Dan Fitzgerald and Wesley Matthews each contributed 14 points to the cause.

In addition to having trouble stopping Marquette's offense, the Panthers had trouble with the Golden Eagles' defense. James and Matthews pressured Pitt's guards and forced 18 turnovers.

Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said that was the difference in the game.

"Those turnovers lead to baskets in transition," Dixon said. "There are turnovers and then there are turnovers that lead to baskets. In that game, we had turnovers that should have been baskets for us that turned into baskets for them. That can really hurt you. That can really change a game. Those are four-point swings."

After the first meeting in Pittsburgh, Marquette moved to within a game of Pitt in the standings. The Golden Eagles would extend their winning streak to eight games with victories against Seton Hall, South Florida, Providence and Rutgers. But, they have come crashing down to earth in recent weeks.

Marquette has lost four of its past five games after falling at Notre Dame last Saturday. The Golden Eagles might have been the victim of the Big East's unbalanced schedule. They had to play third-place Louisville and Providence twice as well as Pitt. The only other team with a schedule as difficult was Pitt, which had Georgetown and West Virginia twice in addition to Marquette.

Dixon knows Marquette will be a formidable foe.

"I think them along with us played the toughest schedule," Dixon said. "It's going to get to you at some point. Our conference is unique. Teams are playing different schedules. It has to have some impact on the standings and wins and losses. They're still a very good team."