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GAME NOTES: Big East Conference foes square off at New York's famed Madison Square Garden this afternoon, as the 12th-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers come calling on the St. John's Red Storm.

Pitt had a four-game win streak snapped on Wednesday night at Notre Dame, as the Panthers fell in a 68-53 final. As a result, the team currently sits at 21-7 overall and 10-5 in conference. The Panthers, who have won at least 20 games, including 10 in the Big East, for a league-leading ninth straight year, are playing their final three games of the regular season, taking on the Red Storm here, followed by home bouts with Providence and Rutgers in the next week. Pitt is 5-4 in true road games in 2009-10.

St. John's is 15-12 on the year, but just 5-10 in the Big East. The Red Storm dropped a 63-61 overtime decision to visiting Marquette on Wednesday night, and they are now 10-6 at home. St. John's will close the regular season with a pair of road games this coming week -- at Syracuse on Tuesday followed by next Saturday's tilt at DePaul.

St. John's owns a 33-20 advantage in the all-time series with Pittsburgh, but the Panthers have won the last four meetings, and seven of the last nine encounters overall. The two teams met in the Steel City back on January 28th with Pitt notching a 63-53 victory.

Pittsburgh boasts four double-digit scorers on the roster, with Ashton Gibbs and his 16.2 ppg leading the way. A true gunner, Gibbs has attempted 100 more shots than his closest teammate, and his average would be even better if not for a .388 field goal percentage. He has been sensational at the free-throw line however, converting 119-of-134 (.888) attempts. Brad Wanamaker (12.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.4 apg), Gilbert Brown (10.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and Jermaine Dixon (10.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg) round out the offensive-minded quartet for Pitt, which is netting 68.1 ppg while allowing just 61.6 ppg. The Panthers are permitting the opposition to shoot just 39.8 percent from the floor and own a +6.0 rebounding margin. Dixon scored 13 points and Gibbs added 11 more, but Notre Dame put four players in double figures, shot 50.0 percent from the floor and outscored the Panthers at the foul line, 14-3, while outrebounding them 34-25 in Wednesday's 15-point win for the Fighting Irish.

The Red Storm led by four at the half against Marquette on Wednesday night, but couldn't hold on as the Golden Eagles took the game to overtime where they prevailed in a 63-61 final. D.J. Kennedy scored 20 points to pace St. John's, while Dwight Hardy was the only other player to reach double digits, chipping in 12 points in 26 minutes of action off the bench. The Red Storm shot just under 42 percent from the floor in the game, while Marquette was limited to 34.4 percent. A total of 15 turnovers and a dismal 4-of-14 showing from three- point range played a significant role in the setback. Through 27 games, Kennedy paces the club in scoring (14.7 ppg), rebounding (6.2 rpg) and steals (32), while Hardy checks in as the only double-digit scorer at the moment, netting 10.6 ppg despite coming off the pine in 25 games. The Red Storm are scoring 66.7 ppg while yielding 64.8 ppg, and they own marginal advantages in both rebounding (+2.0) and turnovers (+1.0).

With the recent loss to Notre Dame still fresh in their minds, the Panthers are licking their chops in anticipation of hunting down the Red Storm. Expect the visitors to post a comfortable victory.