Pitt Poised For Showdown With Virginia Tech Thursday

PITTSBURGH – Following consecutive losses to a pair of nationally ranked foes, the Pitt women's basketball team will look to bounce back, hosting Virginia Tech Thursday at the Petersen Events Center.

Tipoff is slated for 6:00 p.m., and the game can be streamed via ACCNX.

Need to Know - Game 21
Pitt (9-11, 1-6 ACC) vs. Virginia Tech (13-5, 4-3 ACC)
Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025 – 6:00 p.m.
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Petersen Events Center

The Opening Tip
Johnson Finding Her Way
Redshirt sophomore guard Mikayla Johnson is coming off an 18-point outing against North Carolina where she scored 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting from three-point range in the fourth quarter. Johnson is growing into her role as the second option, joining Faye as the lone Panthers averaging double figures (10.2 PPG).

Washenitz as of Late
Junior guard Marley Washenitz has been a key glue piece, averaging 12.3 points, 3.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds over the last four games.

Faye Continues to Shine
Graduate center Khadija Faye has been one of the best bigs in the ACC this season and is coming off her eighth double double of the year in the Panthers' last game against North Carolina. Faye is averaging 18.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.

Rust Utilizing Medical Redshirt
Head coach Tory Verdi recently announced that sophomore forward and previous starter Lauren Rust will miss the remainder of the year and utilize a medical redshirt, joining Amiya Jenkins and Kiara Williams.

Series History

Thursday will mark the 21st all-time meeting between Pitt and Virginia Tech, as the Hokies lead the series (15-5).
- The Panthers have dropped eight-straight, dating back to 2018.
Pitt owns a 3-5 record in home games.

Scouting the Hokies

Virginia Tech has compiled a 13-5 record, including a 4-3 mark in ACC play.
The Hokies are 3-1 in true road games and have won four of their last five games overall.
Virginia Tech is led by Carleigh Wenzel - who averages 14.0 points per game. Rose Micheaux is also a key contributor, averaging 12.8 points and 5.6 boards.

Last Time Out - vs. No. 14 North Carolina
Pitt dropped a competitive 75-58 decision to then-No. 14 North Carolina on Sunday at the Petersen Events Center.

Pitt forced seven Tar Heel turnovers in the first quarter, helping the Panthers battle back from an early 10-4 deficit. Of note, North Carolina entered the contest averaging the second-fewest turnovers per game in the ACC (12.5).

An Elmore 3-pointer was the offensive bright spot in the quarter for Pitt, whose defense kept the Panthers within reach. North Carolina led the contest 14-9 at the end of the first quarter, despite the Panthers blocking two shots and grabbing four steals.

Faye opened the scoring in the second quarter, netting a contested shot in the paint from an Elmore assist. North Carolina found offense early but was stymied by Pitt's stout zone defense, which forced the Tar Heels into a 3:35 stretch in which they didn't net a field goal. Another Elmore 3-pointer brought the game within three before an 8-0 North Carolina run extended the Tar Heel lead to 27-16 and forced a Pitt timeout. UNC closed the half hitting four consecutive shots to take a 35-22 lead into the locker room.

Miles buried a 3-point look after losing a Tar Heel defender with a pump fake to mark Pitt's first points of the third quarter. Pitt's defense held UNC to just four made baskets and outscored the Tar Heels 13-12 in the frame. Despite six Faye points in the third, the Panthers trailed 47-35 entering the fourth quarter.

North Carolina made five consecutive field goals, four of which were beyond the arc, over a 15-5 run in the fourth quarter to extend its lead to 62-40. Johnson caught fire from 3-point land late, hitting four shots from beyond the arc. The Tar Heels shot 7-of-10 from beyond the arc in the frame to close out the contest.

Up Next
Pitt will take a one-week hiatus before traveling for consecutive road games at Stanford (Jan. 30) and Cal (Feb. 2).