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September 17, 2009

Drazdzinski’s career Top 10 sports moments

10. Pitt beats North Carolina State 34-19 in the Tangerine Bowl game in Orlando, Fla. (Dec. 20, 2001)

9. The Panthers football team defeats Penn State 12-0 at Three Rivers Stadium. This is the last time the rivals battle in a football series that dates back to 1893. (Sept. 16, 2000)

8. Under head coach Agnus Berenato, the women’s basketball team defeats James Madison 71-61 in Dayton, Ohio, for the team’s first-ever NCAA tournament victory. (March 17, 2007)

7. During their first season in the Big East, the men’s basketball team upsets No. 5-ranked St. John’s 72-71. The Johnnies are led by All-America Chris Mullin, who later stars in the NBA. (Feb. 1, 1983)

6. Future NBA forward Charles Smith, whose No. 32 later is retired by Pitt, makes 18 free throws in a game vs. Boston College. (Jan. 21, 1985)

5. Forward Bobby Martin ties a men’s basketball team record with seven blocked shots in a game vs. Seton Hall. (Jan. 20, 1990)

4. The men’s basketball team beats the University of California at Mellon Arena in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, sending Pitt to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1974. (March 17, 2002)

3. The Panthers upset top-ranked Miami 21-17 in a nationally televised football game at Pitt Stadium. (Sept. 18, 1997)

2. In the last football game at 74-year-old Pitt Stadium, the Panthers defeat Notre Dame 37-27. (Nov. 13, 1999)

1. While playing Providence during an ESPN national broadcast on Jan. 25, 1988, Pitt All-America and NBA first-round draft pick Jerome Lane shatters a Fitzgerald Field House backboard with a thunderous slam dunk, causing a 30-minute delay. The event inspires television commentator Bill Raftery’s trademark line, “Send it in, Jerome!”

Drazdzinski said, “At the time, I was sitting on the side of the court across from the benches when I noticed that I had run out of slide film and had only three exposures on my black and white roll. Since the  action was down the other end of the court, I started to get up from my spot to reload my cameras. At that moment the ball was stolen and sent down court to Jerome Lane. I sat back down just as quick and fired the last three exposures I had. The backboard exploded as Lane slammed it through the hoop. Glass was everywhere! My heart was pumping like crazy because I hoped that I had the shot, but I wouldn’t know until I went back to the darkroom to develop it. I had captured a piece of history.”

—Peter Hart shatter

Filed under: Feature,Volume 42 Issue 2

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