During Jamie Dixon's first four seasons as Pitt's coach, the Panthers rarely faced a must-win regular-season game.

They have been remarkably consistent during Dixon's tenure, and only once late in a season were their NCAA tournament hopes in doubt.

In late February 2005, after a three-game losing streak, the Panthers needed to win one of their final two games, both of which were on the road, to secure a berth in the NCAA tournament.

The Panthers, leaving no doubt, won both games against Boston College and Notre Dame, including a 22-point victory against the Eagles that snapped the losing streak

---

Scouting Report

• Matchup: Pitt (19-8, 7-7 Big East) vs. Cincinnati (13-13, 8-6), 7:30 p.m. today, Petersen Events Center.
• TV, Radio, Internet: FSN, WWSW-FM (94.5), WBGG-AM (970), www.pittsburghpanthers.com.
• Pitt: Lost third consecutive game to Louisville, 75-73, Sunday afternoon. ... First three-game losing streak in three years. ... Has never lost four in a row under head coach Jamie Dixon. ... Junior G Levance Fields made his first start since Dec. 29 and had seven assists, three steals and no turnovers in 37 minutes. ... Senior G Ronald Ramon needs seven points to reach 1,000 for his career.
• Cincinnati: Coming off 73-53 loss at Georgetown. ... Beat Pitt, 62-59, Jan. 19 in Cincinnati. ... Is 3-8 in road games, but two of those victories came against Louisville and West Virginia. ... Led by G Deonta Vaughn (17.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg) and F John Williamson (10.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg).
• Hidden stat: Vaughn is fifth in the league in scoring. He needs 119 points to become the 32nd Cincinnati player to reach 500 in a season.

---

Pitt would lose in the first round of the Big East tournament in '05, but the Panthers' work at the end of the regular season ensured that they would make the NCAA tournament. The Panthers earned a No. 9 seed and lost to Pacific in the first round.

Pitt is in a similar position this season. The Panthers are in the midst of their first three-game losing streak since that one in February 2005, and their NCAA tournament hopes are up in the air.

Pitt has four games remaining, and the Panthers are hoping for a response similar to the one at the end of the '05 season. The first game is tonight against Cincinnati at the Petersen Events Center.

"We just want to get a win for ourselves, so we get things rolling again," senior guard Keith Benjamin said. "And, hopefully, finish up this stretch and get ready for the Big East tournament."

Despite its current three-game losing streak, Pitt is still a very strong No. 25 in the RPI entering the Cincinnati game. The RPI is the most important piece of data the NCAA tournament committee takes into account when choosing the 65-team field.

A home loss to Cincinnati, however, would put Pitt's standing in jeopardy. That's why the 163rd game of Dixon's head-coaching career ranks as one of the most important.

"We feel good given the situation," Dixon said. "It's the first time we've lost three in a row in a long time. Most schools have that happen more often. We're No. 25 in the RPI. Given everything that we've gone through, people find that amazing. We feel our best basketball is ahead of us."

Dixon's players have a similar view. Junior forward Sam Young believes the Panthers are close to having things come together.

"I'm starting to feel like my back is up against the wall, but, at the same time, I feel like as a team we're starting to come together and play like we should," he said.

"A lot of people are starting to understand their roles. In the near future, we're going to take off as a team. That motivates me more than the losses. If we just keep in the same direction and get over the hump, these three losses will just be a steppingstone for us."

If the Panthers are going to avoid their first four-game losing streak under Dixon, they're going to have to do it against a Cincinnati team that beat them, 62-59, Jan. 19 in the Queen City. Benjamin's 3-point attempt was off the mark as time expired.

"This is a game you want to get back," Benjamin said. "They got us at their place. Now we're looking forward to getting them over here. We lost to them already. We just want to get them back at our place and get a good feeling back in our system."

Cincinnati beat Pitt at its own game, outrebounding the Panthers.

"They outworked us the last time," he said. "They outrebounded us. That's something we need to work on. When teams get physical with us, we have to respond."