Thursday night's Pittsburgh-Duke contest at Madison Square Garden was a three S game -- super, scintillating, sensational. It had great performances and incredible drama, including Levance Fields coming through in the clutch.

Fields hit the game-winning trifecta in the final seconds as Jamie Dixon's Panthers got to the winner's circle. My friends, watching that at home, wishing I was a courtside calling the action, felt like an NCAA tournament atmosphere. The Garden was rocking and rolling, and in the end, it was Pittsburgh's mental toughness that prevailed.

Dixon has a way of getting the most out of his talent. This Pittsburgh team is a hard-working bunch, playing tenacious defense, a trademark under both Dixon and Ben Howland before him. This club has performed well as a unit.

How good has Pittsburgh been in recent years? In his five seasons as Panthers head coach, Dixon now has a record of 116-30. My friends, he is the real deal!

Pittsburgh has to have mental toughness since it is in the midst of a tough stretch. From December 5 through January 9, the Panthers have just two home games. It is not easy to win at Washington, but it happened. It is difficult to face the Dukies at the Garden, a home away from home. Dixon's team found a way to get it done, even with DeJuan Blair on the bench after fouling out with another double-double (15 points, 20 rebounds).

Now the Panthers have a short break before facing another tough challenge. Next up is underrated Dayton and star Brian Roberts.

With that mental toughness, Pittsburgh feels it can do a lot this season. It won't come easy since the rugged Big East schedule is right around the corner. For now, the Panthers can celebrate a hard-fought W over the top 10 Duke Blue Devils.

Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in December 1979. Send him a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.