Panthers Depart for 2018 ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament

GAME 30: NO. 14 SEED PITT (10-19, 2-14 ACC) VS. NO. 11 SEED WAKE FOREST (13-16, 5-11 ACC)
2018 ACC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT | FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, Feb. 28 | 6:30 p.m. ET
Greensboro, N.C. | Greensboro Coliseum (23,500)
TV: AT&T Sportsnet Pittsburgh | Live Stats | Radio: KDKAFM-HD3
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PITTSBURGH – Pitt women's basketball (10-19, 2-13 ACC) will enter its fifth ACC Women's Basketball Tournament as the No. 14 seed Wednesday, set to face No. 11 seed Wake Forest (13-16, 5-11 ACC) in the first round at 6:30 p.m. at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Local fans can find the game televised on AT&T Sportsnet Pittsburgh. For a full list of RSN affiliates airing the game, visit TheACC.com.
The game will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra (subject to blackout), available on the WatchESPN app.
Live stats will be available through StatBroadcast at ACCLiveStats.com.
On the radio, fans can find the game on KDKAFM-HD3 in the Pittsburgh area with George Von Benko on the call and Jesse Irwin as analyst.
Fans may follow live updates on Twitter and Instagram at @Pitt_WBB.

PAW PRINTS

Redshirt junior Yacine Diop is one of just two players in the ACC averaging at least 15.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, along with Florida State's Shakayla Thomas (17.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg).
The Panthers are fourth in the ACC in field goal percentage defense (.377) and fifth in steals per game (8.9).
Junior center Kalista Walters continues to lead the ACC field goal percentage rankings (.670). The NCAA ranks only student-athletes who average five made field goals per game, and Walters averages 4.6. Walters is fourth in the ACC with 1.8 blocks per game.
Sophomore point guard Jasmine Whitney is fifth in the league with 4.6 assists per game and eighth with a 1.6 assist/turnover ratio.
Pitt leads the ACC in blocked shots per game (6.0), ranking 10th in the nation. The Panthers are ninth in the country in total blocked shots (174).

A WIN WOULD…

Be the Panthers' second ACC Tournament win in program history (1-4 all-time).
End a two-game losing streak for the Panthers when playing in the ACC Tournament. Pitt's last (and only) ACC Tournament win came March 2, 2016, when the No. 12 seed Panthers topped No. 13 seed North Carolina, 82-72, in overtime in the first round in Greensboro, N.C.
End a three-game losing streak in the series against Wake Forest. Pitt's last win against the Demon Deacons came Feb. 15, 2015, in Winston-Salem, N.C.

DÉJÀ VU?

The Panthers are working to avoid history repeating itself Wednesday.
The last time Pitt faced Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament, the Demon Deacons eliminated the Panthers with a 72-58 win in the first round March 5, 2014, at Greensboro Coliseum.
It was the Panthers' first appearance in the ACC Tournament after joining the league during the 2013-14 season.
The teams were seeded the same way in that meeting: Pitt at No. 14 and Wake Forest at No. 11.

LAST TIME OUT

Redshirt junior Yacine Diop and sophomore Jasmine Whitney combined for 34 points in the regular season finale for Pitt – an 81-49 loss at No. 4/5 Louisville – Sunday at KFC Yum! Center.
Diop led seven Panther scorers with 18 points, and Whitney contributed 16. In a starting role, junior Danielle Garven scored eight points, pulled down three rebounds and had three blocks.

LAST TIME AGAINST WAKE FOREST (JAN. 4, 2018)

Redshirt junior forward Yacine Diop tied her career high with 26 points, however, Pitt dropped its first ACC home contest of the season, 58-49, to Wake Forest, at Petersen Events Center.
She led all scorers and added 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the year and the 11th of her career. Wake Forest had three double-figure scorers in Ariel Stephenson (16), Alex Sharp (13), and Elisa Penna (12).
Neither team led by more than nine points, with the Demon Deacons ending the game on an 8-0 run to defeat the Panthers by nine. Pitt led for 30:17 of the contest, finally surrendering the lead with 8:40 left in the fourth quarter (40-39) and could not make a comeback. Wake Forest outscored the Panthers 23-10 in the final 10 minutes. Stephenson went 6-of-8 from the free throw line in the final 1:19 to seal the Panthers' fate.

LAST TIME AT THE ACC TOURNAMENT (MARCH 1, 2017)

Kauai Bradley led No. 11 seed Pitt with 12 points in a 72-60 loss to 14th-seeded North Carolina in the first round of the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament at HTC Center in Conway, S.C. Bradley was one of four Panthers to reach double-figure scoring.

MILESTONE WATCH

Redshirt junior Yacine Diop owns 1,075 career points, good for 19th place on Pitt's all-time scoring list. She needs seven more points to pass Jennifer Shingler (1986-90) for 18th place (1,081).
Junior center Kalista Walters is three blocks away from cracking the program's top 10 of blocks made in a season with 53.
With 85 career triples, sophomore guard Alayna Gribble is three made threes away from tying Shavonte Zellous (2005-09) for 10th place on the career 3-point field goal list.
With 133 assists on the season, point guard Jasmine Whitney holds the third most made by a sophomore in program history. She needs 28 more assists to tie LaTonya Blanton (1998-99) for second place all-time (161), and 19 to crack the top 10 for assists made in a season by a Panther (152).

SCOUTING THE DEMON DEACONS

Wake Forest (13-16, 5-11 ACC) split its final week of ACC regular season competition, defeating Clemson on the road (61-55) Thursday and falling to Virginia at home (48-41) Sunday.
Junior forward Elisa Penna leads a trio of double-figure scorers for Wake Forest with 15.8 points per game. Senior guard Amber Campbell contributes 10.8 points per game and sophomore guard Alex Sharp adds 10.0 points per game. Sharp leads the Demon Deacons with 8.2 rebounds per contest.
The Demon Deacons have a 5-2 advantage in the all-time series against Pitt, and own a three-game win streak against the Panthers. Pitt's last win against Wake Forest came Feb. 15, 2015, in Winston-Salem, N.C. (65-41).

UP NEXT

The winner of Wednesday's game will advance to face No. 6 seed Miami in the 2018 Women's Basketball Tournament second round Thursday at 8 p.m. at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.

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Panthers Depart for 2018 ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kauai Bradley

Yacine Diop

Danielle Garven

Alayna Gribble

Kalista Walters

Jasmine Whitney

Panthers Depart for 2018 ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kauai Bradley

Yacine Diop

Danielle Garven

Alayna Gribble

Kalista Walters

Jasmine Whitney

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