Boston ? Pittsburgh has a Steel Curtain defense again, thanks to coach Ben Howland.

His Panthers completely wore down Indiana in a 74-52 victory Sunday to reach the round of 16 for the second consecutive year.

Pitt didn’t have much basketball tradition before Howland arrived, so he had to find his inspiration elsewhere in the city’s sporting lore.

“Pittsburgh Steelers basketball,” Howland called it after becoming the school’s most successful NCAA Tournament coach with four wins. “We’re not tall. We’re burly. We want kids that are tough. That’s what wins.”

Jaron Brown scored 20 points, and Brandin Knight added 17 points and seven assists for second-seeded Pittsburgh, which will play No. 3 seed Marquette in the Midwest Regional semifinals Thursday in Minneapolis.

Knight also had five steals, and Chevon Troutman grabbed nine rebounds to go with his 10 points as the Panthers (28-4) did most of their damage on defense.

Drawing on the Steel Curtain defense that brought the city four Super Bowl titles in the 1970s, Howland used a bulky frontcourt rotation of Ontario Lett, Donatas Zavackas and Troutman.

Listed at an average of 6-foot-7 and 246 pounds — but probably heavier — they pushed around Indiana’s taller but spindly George Leach (6-11, 240) and Jeff Newton (6-9, 225).

“It’s hard to think back right now,” senior Tom Coverdale said when asked to assess his career. “I’m just thinking about what we could have done.”

Bracey Wright, who scored all of his 17 points in the second half against Alabama, had nine of his 11 in the second against Pitt — not enough. Coverdale, who led Indiana with 23 in the first round, had just six points on seven shots against Julius Page’s defense.

“He’s probably the best defender I’ve faced in my whole career,” Coverdale said.

Kentucky 74, Utah 54

Nashville, Tenn. — Keith Bogans and Marquis Estill scored 18 points apiece, and top-seeded Kentucky cruised into the round of 16 for the ninth time in 11 years.

Kentucky (31-3) stretched its winning streak to 25 games, a run sparked by an 18-point loss to rival Louisville Dec. 28.

It wasn’t a shock at all that No. 9 Utah (25-8) had its season end at the hands of Kentucky. The teams were meeting in the tournament for the fifth time in 11 years — the Wildcats have won each time, including a victory in the 1998 national championship game.