Once upon a time Pitt relished the opportunity to win close games in the waning moments. It had been the program's trademark: Keep the game close and find a way -- any way -- to get a victory.

Any more it seems as if the Panthers are finding ways to lose.

Pitt had plenty of opportunities to beat No. 18 Louisville yesterday, but the Panthers could not come through with the big plays in a 75-73 setback at Petersen Events Center.

It was the third consecutive loss for the Panthers, who also lost at Marquette and Notre Dame in the previous nine days. The Panthers blew an 11-point, second-half lead against the Fighting Irish. The loss yesterday was the third by three points or fewer in Big East Conference play.

Pitt (19-8, 7-7) lost three consecutive games only one other time under fifth-year coach Jamie Dixon. That happened in February 2005. This loss sent the Panthers into a tie for seventh place in the Big East standings with four regular-season games remaining.

"We just have to learn how to play better down the stretch," junior point guard Levance Fields said. "We were right there. We're still trying to find our way."

Pitt pulled to within one point of the Cardinals three times in the second half, and on each occasion, the Panthers failed to take the lead. A myriad of other things went wrong when the game was on the line in the final few minutes.

• With 4:10 to play, Sam Young missed a dunk with the Panthers down by five.

• With 2:49 to play, Young had a turnover when the Panthers were down by six.

• With 1:07 remaining and Pitt down by three, Fields missed an open 3-pointer.

• And with less than 10 seconds left, the Panthers had a chance to tie the score with a 3-pointer, but Fields passed to freshman center DeJuan Blair under the basket, and Blair missed a layup.

When Fields, who usually has ice water running through his veins in crunch time, passes up an opportunity to make the big play, then something major is wrong.

"I thought there was enough time to get a layup," Fields said. "And knowing that [David] Padgett is not a great free-throw shooter, I thought we could get the crowd in the game and put the pressure back on them."

Louisville, meanwhile, was scoring at the end of the shot clock and sealing the victory from the free-throw line. It was reminiscent of the way the Panthers used to win games.

"I thought we played well, but they played better and deserved to win," Dixon said.

Pitt played well on offense, but the defense and rebounding efforts were questionable. Louisville shot 58 percent from the field and outrebounded the Panthers, 36-29.

It was the third consecutive game and the sixth time in the past eight games that Pitt had been outrebounded.

"We have to defend better and rebound better," Dixon said. "We've gotten rebounded in our last three games. That's our calling card. That's something we have to do a better job of."

Dixon praised his team's effort on offense. The Panthers shot 44.6 percent from the field and turned the ball over only four times against an athletic, pressing team.

Young and Blair each scored 20 points for the Panthers, but the guards once again failed to do their part from the outside. Pitt was 6 for 21 from 3-point range and is 14 for 57 from behind the arc in the three-game losing streak.

"I'm shooting bricks," said Fields, who was 4 for 13 from the field and 0 for 4 from 3-point range. "I couldn't make any shots on the perimeter. [Young and Blair] did everything they were supposed to do down low. They gave us everything we needed to win this game. As a point guard, I didn't come up big for them down the stretch."

Neither did Ronald Ramon or Keith Benjamin, who were a combined 3 for 10 from behind the arc. One of them was a meaningless 3-pointer from Ramon at the final buzzer.

The good news for the Panthers is that they don't have to face any more of the upper-echelon teams in the Big East the rest of the way. Marquette, Notre Dame and Louisville were all ranked and playing their best basketball of the season when they went against Pitt.

The Panthers face Cincinnati at home Wednesday and then play at Syracuse and West Virginia before concluding the regular season at home against DePaul. Three victories in those four games likely would secure a NCAA berth. Anything less and the Panthers might need to win a game in New York at the Big East tournament.

"We have to keep our heads up," Fields said. "We're right there. Each game we're playing a little bit better. We just haven't come through when we needed to win it. We just have to keep battling. This is a resilient bunch. As long as we keep working and getting after it, I honestly think something is going to turn. I think we deserve it. We've been through a lot so far. If we keep pushing something good is going to happen."

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NOTES -- Young became the 35th player in Pitt history to reach 1,000 points. ... Pitt's four turnovers were the fewest in a game under Dixon. ... Blair, who registered his 11th double-double for the season, tied his career high in points (20). ... Fields played 37 minutes and had 7 assists, 3 steals and no turnovers. ... Louisville became the first team to beat Pitt twice at the Petersen Events Center. ... Pitt has never lost four consecutive games under Dixon.

Inside

• La Salle turns the tables to beat Duquesne, 75-72. See story, Page D-6.