Pittsburgh 68 – West Virginia 57

There’s no place to hide in the Big East, not that Pittsburgh and Villanova were looking to duck each other this season. In a monster league with 16 teams, there just aren’t enough games to go around, so the Panthers and Wildcats never had their catfight.

Tonight they will in a Big East Conference tournament semifinal game in the Garden.

A depleted Pittsburgh team got past a hurting West Virginia squad, 68-57, in the first meeting ever between the Backyard Brawl rivals in the league tournament for the right to meet Villanova, which pulled away from Rutgers, 87-55.

“I think it will be a great, competitive game,” said Pittsburgh guard Carl Krauser of the Bronx, one of five starters in double figures last night with 10 points, six assists and six rebounds. “It will be something to watch.”

Pittsburgh (23-6) had to go without forward Levon Kendall (back spasms) and West Virginia swingman Mike Gansey left the game with stomach cramps. The Mountaineers (20-10) were led by Kevin Pittsnogle’s 22 points.

The Panthers led 59-57 with 1:08 left after the Mountaineers’ Patrick Beilein drained a deep 3 from just in front of the West Virginia bench. But Pittsburgh made all the plays down the stretch to close the game on a 9-0 surge.

“We haven’t played Pitt, which is scary in itself,” said Villanova coach Jay Wright.

It certainly is. The Panthers have the one weapon that can hurt Villanova, a legitimate center in Aaron Gray, who had 19 points and 15 rebounds. With Kendall unable to go, coach Jaime Dixon relied heavily on a New York three-guard offense of Krauser, Ronald Ramon (Bronx) and Levance Fields (Brooklyn).

“This is basketball, baby,” Krauser when asked what advice he gave his city teammates. “We’ve it all our life in the parks in New York. This is no pressure here. Where we come from is pressure. Basketball is fun.”

Even when the claws come out.