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Pitt was hoping to get its defensive issues corrected in time for Long Beach State's visit to the Petersen Events Center Wednesday night. The 49ers only added to the growing concerns of Panthers coach Jamie Dixon.

Long Beach State went through Pitt like a hot knife through butter, slicing and dicing the Panthers' defense at will in a 86-76 victory over the 9th-ranked Panthers.

The loss snapped a 58-game winning streak against non-conference opponents at the Petersen Events Center. The loss was only the second for the Panthers against a non-conference opponent since their home building opened in 2002. The other loss came against Bucknell on Jan. 2, 2005.

For Long Beach State, it was the first victory against a ranked opponent in 17 years. The previous time the 49ers beat a ranked team was Feb. 24, 1994, a win over No. 25 New Mexico State. They had lost...

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