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. China Shoes Black Friday . 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Organizers poked a little fun at the now-infamous opening ceremony gaffe that saw only four out of five snowflakes open up into rings, leaving the Olympics logo one ring short. Buy Shoes Black Friday .ca look back at each of the Top 10 stories of 2013. Today, we look back at Boston Strong - a citys recovery from tragedy. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Fighters at a gym tucked inside an old Morgantown shopping mall grab, twist and leverage each others limbs and heads, seeking small advantages and aiming for submission holds.Its the less glamorous stuff of mixed martial arts, a sport now legal in West Virginia thats faulted at times for its violence because of its highlight-reel knockout punches and flying kicks.West Virginia legalized MMA just last year for amateurs, though there were some unsanctioned fights before, and lawmakers had approved MMA fights by paid professionals in 2011.On Sunday, the lawmakers begin reviewing the sports new regulations. They specify safety measures like prohibiting anyone under 18 from state-sanctioned fights and requiring blood tests for HIV and hepatitis even for amateurs.Youve got to train smart, Josh Fowler said amid an hour of grappling on the big blue mat at Ground Zero Fighting Systems. The gyms 39-year-old co-owner, he plans to have his fourth amateur MMA bout in April. If you train smart you can do this for a long time.Under the new rules, amateur kicks to the head are allowed. Promoters have to post bonds and provide insurance coverage for injuries. Amateurs can turn pro after four sanctioned fights, instead of eight, if they show they can compete. A doctor is required at ring or cage matches, just like the professional sport. Brain scans would be required for contestants over 40.I have never, thank God, seen anybody seriously hurt, said Leon Ramsey, chairman of the State Athletic Commission that issued the regulations and sanctioned 292 amateur bouts in the past year.A former professional fighter and trainer, he sees well-regulated MMAs sporting promise in a state without professional teams. Smaller venues can draw crowds with affordable tickets where fighters can gain skill and experience locally and progress, he said.The current commission has three other members: Dr. Tim Peasak, a physician; Paul Thornton, a former referee; and Tony Figaretti, a longtime boxing official.Last years amendments both permitted fight cards at venues with less than 2,500 seats and legalized amateur cards.Weve been banging shows out like crazy since then, promoter Chris Smith said. He put on MMA cards in the past year around West Virginia called Ruckus in the Cage, mostly with amateurs. He said those were held before crowds ranging from about 1,000 to 22,300 people.ddddddddddddhere were about 15 MMA cards statewide last year among 44 boxing or other fight promotions sanctioned by the State Athletic Commission, Ramsey said.MMAs fan popularity may have peaked a few years ago fanned by Ultimate Fighting Championship television shows, Smith said. He sees good prospects for its comeback and no shortage of fighters in West Virginia.Ive been filling cards with 25 fights, no problem, Smith said. I could fill a card up with a whole lot more than that.Ramsey sees that as a reflection of homegrown character. Your average West Virginian is tough, he said.The commission has also approved 166 pro boxing bouts and 690 tough man-style fights in the past year, he said.Ramsey may have been the first native to fight in mixed martial arts, starting in 1997 in other states, posting a pro record of 6-3. For 20 years he trained other fighters. Now 55, he doesnt do it anymore but believes martial arts is clearly positive for youths.Amateur blood tests are to start in January, which may winnow less serious fighters, Smith said. Hes now putting together more tough man-style boxing shows where would-be fighters can sign up and compete for prizes. The new wrinkle is for kickboxing, something he said state regulators agreed to, he said.Ground Zero has about 15 fighters, a mix of conventional boxers, kickboxers and mixed martial artists. Others train only in jiu-jitsu, which Fowler took up first 11 or 12 years ago. He has had broken toes, fingers and an ankle, but has never been knocked out or received a concussion, he said.Theres definitely more people participating in combat sports nowadays than there used to, Fowler said. The UFC is directly responsible for that increase in the last 20 years. Its the best marketing tool you can get for about anything -- minus character, fair play and sportsmanship. Youve got to do that on your own.The married father of two, who has a full-time job in information technology, had his first amateur MMA bout last year. I just wanted to prove that jiu-jitsu worked on fighters and fools, he said.His three wins, against a skilled fighter, a college-level wrestler and someone without particular skills, ended in chokehold submissions. Proving jiu-jitsu works, he said. ' ' '