PITTSBURGH -- Plenty of the numbers from Pittsburghs breezy 99-80 victory over Gardner-Webb looked pretty.And none of them mattered to coach Kevin Stallings. Sure shooting 54 percent and never being challenged on Monday night was nice, especially three days after needing double-overtime to hold off Eastern Michigan in Stallings coaching debut with the Panthers. Yet Stallings is more concerned about whether his team is ready for a far sterner test on Thursday against SMU at Madison Square Garden in the 2K Classic.You look at our defensive numbers, they were indicative of a team that was not really wired into play, he said. Thats my fault. Thats my job.Cameron Johnson scored 18 points and made all four of his 3-point attempts for Pitt (2-0). Michael Young put up 18 points and seven rebounds in 15 minutes after being held out of the starting lineup for only the second time in his career due to a minor violation of team rules. Sheldon Jeter added 14 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.Still, the Panthers led the Runnin Bulldogs trade baskets early in the first half and for long stretches in the second. Stallings wonders if his players are getting a little too caught up in the free-flowing offense Stallings brought with him from Vanderbilt.Maybe Ive sent the wrong message about tempo and offense and things like that, Stallings said. Were not ready to beat anybody thats equivalent to us in terms of talent because we dont sustain any type of defensive intensity.At one point in the first half, Stallings pulled the entire starting five off the floor in frustration.I think he just wanted more effort and energy, Johnson said. He cited a lack of focus for that.Not that much was required over the final 30 minutes after a 10-0 burst that included a pair of 3-pointers by Johnson to give the Panthers a 30-14 lead that was never threatened.RUNNIN WITH THE PANTHERSLaQuincy Rideau finished with a career-high 23 points for Gardner-Webb (0-2) while adding eight rebounds and six assists. David Efianayi scored 20 points and Liam OReilly chipped in 14. The Runnin Bulldogs spread the floor to provide Rideau with room to slice his 6-foot-1 frame through the lane.I felt there was little more space where maybe we could attack the paint off the dribble, Gardner-Webb coach Tim Craft said. The problem is we werent converting. Some of the finishes were a little wild.BIG MAN DEBUTPitt junior Rozelle Nix made his long-awaited debut after missing last season with a foot injury. The 6-foot-11, 300-pound Nix entered with just over 4 minutes left and finished with four rebounds and on emphatic block on Gardner-Webbs DJ Laster that sent Nixs teammates erupting off the bench.He got me once like that once, Jeter said. Im not ashamed to admit it. Im not afraid to admit it.BIG PICTUREGardner-Webb: After managing just 44 points in a lackluster loss to SMU in the opener last week, Gardner-Webb was happy to try and keep pace with Pitt in what Craft called a learning experience for a young team that will rely on Rideau and Efianayi -- both sophomores -- to carry some of the scoring load.Pitt: Despite the defensive issues, the Panthers seem to have quickly embraced what Stallings wants to do on the other end of the floor. The Panthers made 13 of 26 3-pointers and finished with 29 assists on 35 field goals.UP NEXTGardner-Webb: plays Eastern Michigan in Indianapolis on Friday.Pitt: faces SMU on Thursday at Madison Square Garden. 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BOSTON -- Two pitchers enjoying second-half surges hook up for the second time in less than a week when the Boston Red Sox host the Tampa Bay Rays in the second game of a three-game series on Tuesday night.Drew Pomeranz, the left-hander the Red Sox acquired from the San Diego Padres in exchange for a top pitching prospect, has turned around a slow start and lost only once in his last five starts.That loss came last Thursday, when Pomeranz struck out a career-high 11 in six innings and fell to the Rays and Odorizzi in St. Petersburg.A lot of strikeouts. Sometimes I like that, sometimes I dont, Pomeranz said after that game dropped his combined NL/AL record to 10-10. I could have took a few quick outs in places to get a couple more innings out there.Pomeranz allowed one run through six but failed to retire either of the first two batters in the seventh and the result was a second straight Red Sox loss to send the team home 7-4 on the long road trip.He has allowed two or fewer runs over his last five starts with a 2.40 ERA over that 30-inning stretch, striking out 31 over that span.It is disappointing, Pomeranz said of the loss. Its always disappointing when you lose. We would have liked to have those last two to complete the road trip. But it happens.His run is lukewarm compared to Odorizzi, 6-0 since the All-Star break with what has to this point been the lowest Tampa Bay ERA (1.59) of any pitcher in club history. He has thhe second-lowest second-half ERA in the major leagues this season and has not lost since July 10.dddddddddddd.Odorizzi pitched out of two bases loaded spots in the sixth inning of last Thursdays game.Have to credit (pitching coach Jim Hickey), he said. Great mound visit. He came out and said first-pitch changeup, get a double-play. So thats exactly what we did.Mookie Betts is 5-for-17, Dustin Pedroia 8-for-22, Xander Bogaerts 7-for-20 and Travis Shaw 4-for-10 for the Red Sox against Odorizzi, while David Ortiz is 4-for-22, but with three homers and Jackie Bradley Jr. 2-for-13.On the other side, Matt Duffy, who was with the Giants when Pomeranz was with the Padres, is 4-for-12 against him and Brad Miller 3-for-8 with a homer. Logan Forsythe, also a former Padre (but not an ex-teammate), is 2-for-11 against Pomeranz.Odorizzi will be trying to even the series for his team when he puts his winning streak on the line.The Red Sox rode Rick Porcellos MLB-high 18th win and Betts 30th homer, RBI double, two RBI and two runs scored to a 9-4 win on Monday night.We just got beat tonight, said Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash, whose team is 55-75, 6-8 against the Red Sox. They found a way to get on base, get big key hits with guys on base and it just added up, piled up and was very difficult for us to overcome. ' ' '