Pitt
Providence
Pitt Women's Basketball Downs Providence, 60-57
2/15/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 15, 2011
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh erased a double-digit deficit to earn a 60-57 victory over Providence in BIG EAST women's basketball action on Tuesday evening at the Petersen Events Center.
Senior Taneisha Harrison (Bowie, Md.) led all scorers with 20 points, 12 of those in the second half. Senior Chelsea Cole (Lumberton, N.J.) collected her BIG EAST leading 14th double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
For the second-straight game, the Panthers (13-12, 5-7 BIG EAST) roared back from an 11-point deficit to record the win. Pitt rallied from 11 points down in a 70-66 win over USF on Saturday, Feb. 12. The win is the second-straight and the fourth in the past five games for the Panthers.
Teya Wright had 13 points while Mi-Khida Hankins added 12 for the Friars (11-13, 4-8).
Down by four at the break, Pitt tied the contest at 30-30 on a short jumper from redshirt freshman Ashlee Anderson (Chicago, Ill.) with 18:39 left to play. The Friars used a 14-8 run to pull ahead by six (44-38) on their fifth three-pointer of the game at the 11:06 mark.
After PC took its second six-point edge of the half at 46-40 with 8:39 to go, Pitt pieced together a 16-2 scoring surge to turn the tables.
Freshman Yasmin Fuller (Seattle, Wash.) gave Pitt its first lead since the opening basket with a three-point play with 6:26 remaining to make it 47-46. Pitt forced a turnover on the Friars next possession and Harrison glided in from the right side to push the advantage to three (49-46).
After PC was whistled for a foul at midcourt, senior Jania Sims (Newark, N.J.) calmly drained two from the charity stripe to make it 51-46. Freshman Marquel Davis (Fredericksburg, Va.) stole the ball on the next trip down the court for Providence and converted an offensive put-back while Sims followed with a free throw to make it an eight-point Panthers lead at 54-46 with 3:04 on the clock.
A technical foul on the Providence bench, however, ignited the visitors. Clinging to a five-point lead, Pitt turned the ball over at midcourt and PC took advantage by converting a two-plus the bonus free throw to cut the margin to 54-52. The Friars stole the ball on the inbounds and tied the score at 54-54 on a short jumper from Miranda Tate with 2:12 remaining.
The teams traded baskets the next two trips down the court with Harrison hitting a layup to tie the game at 56-56.
With 50 seconds showing, Tate put Providence up by one by draining one of two from the charity stripe. Harrison responded with a three-foot jumper - and a 58-57 lead - with 31.3 seconds to go. After the subsequent free throw on the three-point play did not fall, Providence grabbed the defense rebound and had time to set up a final play after calling a timeout with 21.2 seconds showing.
PC's final shot by Tate from the foul line was blocked by Davis and fell short of the rim as the ball bounced out-of-bounds and went out off of the Friars. Fuller drained two from the free throw line with 5.8 seconds to play to seal the 60-57 victory.
The teams traded baskets to start the contest before PC used a 17-6 scoring run to pull to an 11-point advantage with 11:56 on the clock. A three-pointer by Trinity Hull closed the burst for the Friars to give them their largest lead of the game at 19-8.
Cole used an old-fashioned three-point play and freshman Kyra Dunn (Sacramento, Calif) used the glass to close the gap to six (19-13) before PC scored four-straight to make it a 10-point game.
The Panthers, again, chipped at the deficit closing to four twice over the final five minutes of the first period, including just prior to the halftime horn.
Pitt shot 44.4 percent for the contest, including a 54.5 percent showing in the second half. The Panthers recorded a 39-36 rebounding gain over the Friars.
