Pitt
6-5,0-0ACC
Saint Peter's
1-7,0-0MAAC
Faye and Elmore Combine for 33 as Pitt Downs Saint Peter's, 59-51
12/8/2024 4:03:00 PM | Women's Basketball
PITTSBURGH – Behind a combined 33 points and 21 rebounds from its front court duo, Khadija Faye and MaKayla Elmore, the Pitt women's basketball team defeated non-conference opponent Saint Peter's, 57-51, Sunday afternoon at the Petersen Events Center. Faye led the Panthers with a game-high 24 points while Elmore grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds.
Adding offense for the Panthers (6-5, 0-0 ACC) was Mikayla Johnson, who scored 13 on 33.3 percent (4-for-12) shooting from the field and 71.4 percent (5-for-7) shooting from the chalk. As a team, Pitt shot 40 percent from the field (18-for-45) despite shooting 10 percent (1-for-10) in the first quarter.
Pitt held Saint Peter's (1-7, 0-0) to 30 percent (18-for-60) shooting from the field and 29.4 percent (10-for-34) shooting from beyond the arc. The Panthers outrebounded the Peacocks 36 to 34 and moved to 5-3 this season when outrebounding opponents.
How It Happened
Faye set the tone early for the Panthers, sinking a bucket in the paint and taking a charge on the defensive end. Despite that, Pitt trailed at the media timeout, 7-5, after opening the contest shooting 16.7 percent (1-for-6) from the field. Pitt's offense worked through a 5:07 scoring drought, broken up by two Elmore free throws, and an 11:29 stretch without a field goal. The Panthers defense held Saint Peter's to 18.8 percent shooting (3-for-16) in the frame but trailed 8-7 at the end of the first quarter.
Pitt's field-goal-made drought was broken up by an Elmore 3-pointer from a Brooklynn Miles dish at the 6:58 mark of the second quarter. Saint Peter's responded by using a 5-0 run to extend its lead to 21-12 and force a Pitt timeout. Pitt held Saint Peter's scoreless for the final 2:50 of the first half but trailed 26-20 at the midway point. The Panthers were led by Elmore through the first 20 minutes, who had seven points on 2-for-3 shooting and seven rebounds.
The Panthers outscored Saint Peter's 20-2 in the third quarter to retake the lead, ignited by two Marley Washenitzbaseline jump shots early in the frame. Pitt held Saint Peter's to a 6:17 scoring drought in which the Peacocks shot 0-for-5 with five forced turnovers. The run included a 15-0 Panther tilt to close out the frame. Heading into the final 10 minutes, Pitt led 40-28. The Panthers shot 57.1 percent (8-for-14) from the field and 80 percent (4-for-5) from the charity stripe in the quarter.
Saint Peter's buried back-to-back 3-pointers to open the fourth quarter to cut the Pitt lead down to eight at 42-34. The Panthers responded with an 8-2 run to extend their lead, including hitting 4-of-5 shots. Faye notched 13 in the quarter on 4-for-5 shooting. Pitt rallied behind two Miles free throws to close out the contest.
Game Notes
- Khadija Faye notched a game-high 24 points on 7-for-13 shooting and made 10-of-11 from the free throw line.
- Mikayla Johnson scored 13, one point shy of her career high (14 points on 11/28/24 vs. Kansas).
- MaKayla Elmore grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds.
- Sunday marked the first game this season that the Panthers have trailed at halftime and won.
Up Next
Pitt remains home to open ACC play against Miami on Sunday, Dec. 15. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. and the game can be streamed on ACCNX.
