Women's Basketball Drops Heartbreaker To Duquesne, 62-60
12/4/2002
Laine Selwyn had 22 points to lead Pittsburgh, but the team made just 8 of 18 free throws attempts in the setback.
Box Score
PITTSBURGH ? The University of Pittsburgh women?s basketball team could not overcome a poor night at the free throw line as it fell to city-rival Duquesne, 62-60, Tuesday night at the A.J. Palumbo Center. The Panthers connected on just 8 of 18 attempts from the charity stripe and dropped their first game of the year to fall to 3-1, while the Dukes improved to 4-1 and won their third consecutive game over Pittsburgh.
After two straight 3-pointers from Amy Kunich (Monroeville, Pa./Oakland Catholic) with under three minutes remaining in the contest, Pittsburgh?s drought from the charity stripe began. Duquesne responded with a trey of its own at the 2:22 mark of the second half to grab the lead back, 58-57, but Pittsburgh missed 5 of 8 attempts the rest of the way to suffer the setback.
Trailing 61-60 with 19 seconds left, the Panthers had a chance to regain the advantage but two more costly missed free throws sent them home with their first defeat of the season.
Pittsburgh finished the game with a season-low 44 percent (8 of 18) from the charity stripe while Duquesne drained 12 of 18 free throw attempts.
The Panthers led at the half, 28-22, after shooting 48 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes, but the poor free throw shooting in the second half (7 of 16) cost them their first 4-0 start since the 1998-99 season.
Laine Selwyn (Coral Springs, Fla./Coral Springs) led Pittsburgh with a season-high 22 points and added seven rebounds, while Brooke Stewart (North Versailles, Pa./East Allegheny) poured in 15 points and Kunich finished with 12 points and four assists. Stewart hit three 3-pointers and Kunich drilled four shots from behind the arc.
Aiga Bautre paced the Dukes with 17 points and Beth Friday totaled 14 points and 14 rebounds.
Pittsburgh returns to action this Friday as it travels to the Radisson Suites Basketball Classic in Boca Raton, Fla. The Panthers play UNC-Wilmington at 5 p.m. and conclude the tournament on Saturday evening against either Florida Atlantic or Bowling Green.
NOTES: Pittsburgh shot 42.3 percent (22 of 52) from the field to Duquesne?s 50 percent (23 of 46)?the Panthers committed 22 turnovers but caused 25 miscues?for the first time this year, Pittsburgh was outrebounded (33-29)?Selwyn missed her first free throws of the season, finishing 6 of 9 from the line. Coming into the game, she was a perfect 16 of 16?Dallas Williams picked up a technical foul with 4:12 remaining in the contest after slamming the ball to the floor. Williams did not intentionally pound the ball to the floor but the ball slipped out of her hands and the referees were forced to assess the technical foul.