Pitt
Duquesne University
PITT WOMEN HOLD ON TO DEFEAT DUQUESNE 61-56
11/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 19, 2006
PITTSBURGH - The Pitt women's basketball team improved to 3-0 with a 61-56 win over Duquesne (1-1) Sunday afternoon at the A.J. Palumbo Center. Led statistically by junior starter Marcedes Walker's 13 points and 13 rebounds, the bench play carried the Panthers to their third win of the season.
"Our bench pulled us through this game," head coach Agnus Berenato said. "This was a tough environment, but our fans were amazing. With games like this, against your cross-town rival, you throw out all records and things like height and size. This is such a great rivalry and I feel we weathered tremendous adversity and did a nice job."
The Panthers' leading scorer, Shavonte Zellous (Orlando, Fla./Jones), as well as Walker (Philadelphia, Pa./University City) each sat on the bench 10 minutes with foul trouble. Zellous scored nine points while adding six rebounds and six assists on the afternoon.
"This win is about pride," Walker said. "We are really close to their players. They are a great team but we had to play our game. Our bench did a great job when we were in foul trouble and kept us in the game."
Pitt started two freshmen, two sophomores and a junior in the contest. Freshman Ashleigh Braxton (Woodbridge, Va./Forest Park) earned her first start and got the scoring underway with a three-pointer 27 seconds into the game to give Pitt the 3-0 lead. Braxton finished the game with seven points, including two key free throws to seal the Pitt win with just 13 seconds remaining in the game.
Sophomore Sylvie Tafen (Yaounde, Cameroon/Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy) tied her career-high for rebounds with 10 and sophomore Xenia Stewart (Bowie, Md./Riverdale Baptist) added 10 points in the win.
Late in the first half, the Panthers would lead by as many as eight at 35-27 and went into the lockerroom at the half with a seven-point advantage (37-30). The Dukes pulled back in the second half to as close as two points down the stretch, but could not close the gap any further.
Pitt's guest coaches for the day were Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ralph Cappy and his wife Janet.
You can listen live on All Access at www.PittsburghPanthers.com or listen to the taped delay Sunday evening at 9 p.m. on Fox Sports Radio 970 AM with Greg Linnelli and Mike Clark making the call.
