GAME NOTES: Continuing on a lengthy home stretch, the Indiana Hoosiers will host the Pittsburgh Panthers in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge at Assembly Hall Tuesday.

Pittsburgh enters the contest with a 4-2 record on the season, having won two of its last three games. The Panthers are coming off a convincing 70-47 victory over Kansas State in the EA Sports Maui Invitational.

Indiana participated in a tournament of its own, but played all games of the Hoosiers Showcase in Bloomington in front of its home crowd. The Hoosiers are 5-1 to start the season, and are coming off an 87-79 win over UNC Greensboro.

These two storied programs have met just eight times on the court in their series history. The programs have split the all-time series down the middle at four wins apiece.

Pittsburgh's defense was on another level against Kansas State at the Maui Invitational. The Panthers held the Wildcats to just 32.6 percent shooting from the floor in the game, while the Panthers themselves connected on an impressive 55.3 percent of their field goal tries. James Robinson led Pitt with 14 points in the contest, adding in six assists and four steals. Michael Young and Ryan Luther each chipped in with 13 points, and Jamel Artis contributed 10 points in the win. Pittsburgh shot 8-of-15 from 3-point range in the game (53.3 percent) to help the team bury the Wildcats.

Young enters the game against Indiana as Pittsburgh's leading scorer with 14.7 ppg, adding in a team-high 8.3 rpg and an impressive 59 percent field goal mark from the floor. Robinson is the only other player to average a double- digit scoring total entering the contest, netting 12.7 ppg with a team-high 35 assists. Although the Panthers only have two players in double-digit scoring figures, the team is still managing 69.8 ppg on 47.4 percent shooting through six games.

Indiana looked impressive against UNC Greensboro in the final round of the Hoosiers Showcase. All five starters scored at least 10 points for the team, which collectively shot 50 percent from the floor. James Blackmon Jr. led all Indiana scorers with 24 points in the win, adding in a team-high nine rebounds. Yogi Ferrell contributed 15 points with six rebounds and six assists, while both Troy Williams and Robert Johnson added 11 points each. Hanner Mosquera- Perea rounded out the double-digit scorers for Indiana with 10 points and six boards.

Thanks to the 24-point outburst, Blackmon leads Indiana in scoring entering the game against Pittsburgh averaging 20.8 ppg on 54.2 percent shooting from the floor. Ferrell checks in not very far behind Blackmon in the category, netting 18.2 ppg with a team-best 35 assists. Williams, who missed two games earlier in the year, owns a 12.8 ppg average, and Johnson comes in at 12.2 ppg. As a unit, Indiana comes into the clash with Pitt averaging 88.5 ppg and giving up 72.7 ppg to opponents.

Pittsburgh is having to find its way this season without last year's top scorer Lamar Patterson, but so far things have come together nicely. But when conference play starts, the Panthers will need more than Young to step up. Indiana has some good pieces back, and has played so well at home through six games that a home clash with Pitt should get the team its sixth win.