Pitt
11-15,3-10ACC
Notre Dame
22-2,13-0ACC
Panthers Test No. 2 Notre Dame; Come Up Short, 88-57
2/13/2025 11:11:00 PM | Women's Basketball
PITTSBURGH – Graduate center Khadija Faye recorded her 12th double-double of the season with a stellar 23-point, 16-rebound performance, but it wasn't enough as the Pitt women's basketball fell to No. 2-ranked Notre Dame, 88-57, Thursday night at the Petersen Events Center.
Defensively, the Panthers (11-15, 3-10 ACC) forced 16 Notre Dame (22-2, 13-0 ACC) turnovers. Additionally, Pitt limited opposing guard Hannah Hidalgo – the nation's second-leading scorer – to a season-low 11 points on 3-of-17 shooting from the field and 1-for-6 shooting from 3-point range.
In addition to her 23 points and 16 boards – Faye, a native of Dakar, Senegal, filled the stat sheet, logging a team-high four steals and two blocks.
Faye was joined in double figures by redshirt sophomore guard Mikayla Johnson (15 points) and junior guard Marley Washenitz (13 points). Of note, Johnson and Washenitz combined to shoot 10-for-10 from the free throw line.
Junior guard Raeven Boswell provided a spark off the bench in the third quarter, tallying three points and two rebounds, while recording a plus/minus of +4 in limited action.
How It Happened
After winning the tip, Faye immediately opened the scoring to give Pitt a 2-0 lead. Olivia Miles of Notre Dame drilled a triple, before back-to-back field goals from Johnson gave the Panthers a 6-3 advantage at the 6:39 mark. The Fighting Irish responded with a 12-2 run, taking the lead at 15-8. The two teams exchanged baskets for the ensuing two minutes, before the Panthers closed the first quarter on a 9-3 burst – trailing 22-21 after 10 minutes of action.
Notre Dame opened the second period on an 11-2 run, forcing a Pitt timeout. The two teams traded field goals for the following three minutes of play, before Notre Dame closed the half on a blistering 11-3 spurt. The Panthers trailed 49-33 through 20 minutes of play.
Pitt was led by Faye and Washenitz in the first half as the duo combined for 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field. As a unit, the Panthers shot 45.8 percent from the floor and 90.9 percent from the charity stripe in the first half.
Faye opened the second half with a hook shot, but Notre Dame immediately responded with a 10-0 run. Undaunted, Pitt put together a 14-2 burst behind several mid range jumpers from Faye, cutting its deficit to as little as 14 at the 2:10 mark of the third period.
Trailing by 19 entering the fourth quarter, the Panthers continued to push, but after a Washenitz step-back triple cut Notre Dame's lead to 21 with 5:55 remaining, the Fighting Irish went on a 10-0 run to finish the contest, resulting in an 88-57 victory.
Game Notes
- Faye notched her 12th double-double of the season, while tallying her seventh 20+ point game in ACC play.
- Washenitz has now scored in double figures in seven of the last 10 games after only doing so twice over the previous 16 games.
- Johnson has gone 13-for-13 from the charity stripe over the last three games.
- Her last missed free throw came in the loss to Cal (Feb. 2).
- Pitt limited Hidalgo to just 11 points – her fewest total of the season.
Up Next
Pitt remains home, hosting Virginia on Sunday, Feb. 16 for its annual Pink the Pete game. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ACC Network.
