Sports

Pittsburgh dominated by Wichita State in NCAA tournament

SALT LAKE CITY – Pittsburgh came into the NCAA Tournament wondering how it could be seeded so poorly, and determined to make amends for previous Big Dance failings. They left with star Tray Woodall in tears after the worst performance of his life, and wondering how March could have gone so wrong yet again.

The Panthers have always thrived on defense and rebounding and physicality, but Wichita State beat them at their own game and beat them up. The Shockers rolled to a 73-55 rout and into tomorrow’s third-round game of the West Region vs. Gonzaga at Energy Solutions Arena. Meanwhile, the Panthers were left with bruised bodies and battered psyches.

“It’s a bitter taste in my mouth to end my career with one of the worst games I’ve ever played in my history,’’ said the Brooklyn-born Woodall, who fouled out of his final collegiate game with two points on 1 of 12 shooting, and wept afterwards. “I’m sorry I let my team down. One of the worst games I’ve ever played.’’

Ninth-seeded Wichita State (27-9) outrebounded the Panthers, held them to 35.2 percent shooting, and used an 11-0 run that spanned the first and second halves to change the game. But truth be told, eighth-seeded Pittsburgh (24-9) got outmuscled and outhustled from buzzer to buzzer, hardly the kind of deep March run that would have quieted talk of coach Jamie Dixon bolting for USC.

“They played great and seemed to be far more aggressive than we were,’’ said Dixon, who claimed he will return to Pitt. “[We’re] extremely disappointed in the loss. I know we’re a better team than what we played. I’m sorry for our seniors [Woodall and Dante Taylor] to go out this way.

“But today was not our day. We didn’t play well in any facet, really. … We truly did not play the way we need to, from the beginning to the end. … We just simply weren’t playing the right way from start to finish.’’

Pitt still somehow led 21-19 after a dunk by Steven Adams (team-high 13 points), but that’s when the Panthers found themselves on the wrong end of the Shockers’ 11-0 spurt. Pitt missed its last four shots of the half and added two turnovers and a flagrant-foul call on Lamar Patterson, who elbowed Rob Baker while dribbling.

Wichita State scored the final seven points of the opening half, and added a basket by Cleanthony Early (21 points) and free throws by Malcolm Armstead (game-high 22) to push its lead to nine early in the second half. The Shockers’ lead eventually reached 18, as they heeded coach Gregg Marshall’s mandate to play angry.

“Playing angry means toughness, give it your all. … You’ve got to leave it all on the floor, play for your brothers,’’ he said.

“Play like you want it,’’ Early added.

Wichita State clearly did.

“They just got it done more than us, played harder than us, each possession, didn’t give up,’’ said Taylor, who is from Greenburgh, N.Y. “We tried to fight back at the end, but it just wasn’t enough.’’

The same could be said of Pittsburgh’s recent NCAA trips.

The Panthers have reached the tournament in 10 of 11 years, but reached the Elite Eight just once. They were upset as a No. 3 by No. 10 Kent State in 2002, as a No. 5 by No. 13 Bradley in 2006, and as a top seed by No. 8 Butler in 2011. Add yesterday to the list.

Meanwhile, reports have linked Dixon with the USC job. The Trojans fired Kevin O’Neill in December and replaced him on an interim basis with Bob Cantu. But Dixon insists he’ll be back.

“Yeah,’’ Dixon said, taking a long exasperated pause before adding, .

“I just had my point guard break down here. [USC’s} the farthest thing from my mind.’’

brian.lewis@nypost.com