Pitt
Texas Tech
Pittsburgh Women's Basketball Halted By Texas Tech, 78-65
12/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 19, 2010
LAS VEGAS - Senior Jania Sims (Newark, N.J.) scored a game-high 26 points, but it was not enough as Pittsburgh women's basketball dropped a 78-65 decision to Texas Tech on Sunday afternoon in the opening contest of the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic at South Point Arena.
Senior Taneisha Harrison (Bowie, Md.) added 17 points for the Panthers (5-5).
The Lady Red Raiders (10-1) were paced by Kierra Mallard (20 points) and Casey Morris (18 points).
"I thought we played one of best first halve and couldn't sustain in the second half. Jania (Sims) tried to take team on her back and lead us," said head coach Agnus Berenato. "We got hit with foul trouble and it changed the game plan. We have to bounce back and rebound tomorrow against UT-Arlington."
The Panthers jumped out to a 9-6 lead in the early going behind the play of Sims, who scored seven of the team's first nine points. After the Lady Red Raiders went ahead, 10-9, on a lay-in by Mallard at the 16:15 mark, Pitt used an 8-2 run to retake the lead and pull ahead by five (17-12) with 11:41 showing. Harrison ignited the run, opening and closing it with a pair of buckets.
Pitt would pull ahead by five points on three more occasions over the next four minutes before Texas Tech answered by scoring nine of the game's next 14 points and closing to within a point at 31-30. The Panthers responded with five-straight points - a three-pointer from Harrison and a slashing move to the hoop and finish from freshman Ashlee Anderson (Chicago,Ill.) - to take their largest lead of the period at 36-30 with 2:08 remaining in the first.
Pitt shot 50 percent from both the field (14-28) and from three-point range (3-6) in the first stanza en route to a 38-35 halftime edge.
Sims and Harrison combined to score the Panthers first 10 points of the second period. Sims' layup with 14:23 to play gave Pitt its largest lead of the game at 48-41. Texas Tech answered by scoring eight unanswered points to move ahead, 49-48 at the 11:33 mark.
The teams traded baskets on the next five possessions as a four-foot jumper by Sims closed the deficit to 55-54 with 8:25 remaining. Texas Tech controlled the period from that point, rolling out a 13-4 scoring surge. Pitt failed to tally a field goal over a five minute and 43 second span, recording its four points from the free throw line.
A layup from Harrison ended the field goal drought to pull the Blue to 68-61, but the Panthers could gain no ground on the Lady Red Raiders.
The Panthers were out-rebounded, 25-15, in the second period and failed to convert one of their 10 three-point field goal opportunities.
Pitt will continue play in the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic on Monday, Dec. 20 facing UT-Arlington. Tip-time is set for 3 p.m. EST.
