Pitt
Connecticut
PITT WOMEN FALL 82-68 AT NO. 4 CONNECTICUT
2/17/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 17, 2007
HARTFORD, Conn. - Despite Marcedes Walker's 22 points and 16 rebounds, the Pitt women's basketball team (20-6, 8-5 Big East) fell at No. 4 Connecticut (24-2, 13-0) Saturday afternoon at the Hartford Civic Center.
"This atmosphere and this game was a great experience for us but Connecticut was just better than us today," Pitt Head Coach Agnus Berenato said. "Their second shot is what killed us. They had 21 offensive boards and we just got buried by it. We are a very young team and it showed today."
Walker (Philadelphia, Pa./University City), shot 10 of 17 from the field for her ninth double-double of the season in 35 minutes of play. Freshman Selena Nwude (Riverdale, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) had a career-high 14 points and added seven rebounds on the day. Also scoring in double figures were Xenia Stewart (Bowie, Md./Riverdale Baptist) with 12 points and Shavonte Zellous (Orlando, Fla./Jones) with 11 points.
Pitt out-shot the Huskies 45.8 percent to 44.6 percent from the field, but Connecticut took 15 more shots and hit five three-pointers.
The Panthers started out on a 4-0 run to begin the game, but the Huskies responded with a 29-2 run of their own, putting Pitt in a 29-6 hole just over nine and a half minutes into the game. Pitt fought back to pull within 11 on a Stewart jumper at 5:29, but Connecticut took a 45-25 lead into the second half.
At the conclusion of the half, Zellous, who is second in the Big East in scoring, was held to just two points on 1 of 5 shooting. Connecticut's Charde Houston was 7 of 12 in the half with 14 points and six rebounds.
In the second half, Walker took over for the Panthers, scoring 16 points and adding eight rebounds in 18 minutes. Nwude also had a strong second with 12 points in 15 minutes.
Pitt again made a run late in the second half, but could not get closer than 13 points with 3:47 remaining. The Panthers suffered just their sixth loss of the season 82-68.
Connecticut had four players in double figures including top scorer, Houston, with 23 points and 12 rebounds. The Panthers allowed 21 points off of 18 turnovers and were out-rebounded 47-40.
Pitt returns home Tuesday, Feb. 20 for a 7 p.m. meeting with West Virginia at the Petersen Events Center. The game will be broadcast live on www.PittsburghPanthers.com as a part of All Access or locally on the radio at Fox Sports Radio 970 AM with Greg Linnelli and Mike Clark calling the action.
