Pitt Looks to Continue Strong Start Against LIU

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Pitt women's basketball team looks to improve to 2-0 on Saturday afternoon as the Panthers welcome Long Island to the Petersen Events Center for a 2 p.m. matchup. The game will air on ACC Network Extra.

HELLO AGAIN, PITTSBURGH

· Pitt (1-0) opened the Robin Harmony era with an 81-52 victory over Saint Peter's on Tuesday, giving Harmony her first win at the helm of the Panthers.

· Saturday marks the second of six consecutive home games to open the season for Pitt.

· The Panthers finished 8-23 overall and 1-17 in ACC play last season and were picked 17th in the 2026-27 ACC Preseason Poll.

· Long Island (0-2) finished 21-11 overall and 14-4 in Northeast Conference play last season, advancing to the NEC Championship game.

PANTHERS VS. SHARKS

· Saturday marks the second meeting between the two teams. Pitt leads the series 1-0 after a 92-41 victory in 2021.

KNOW THE SHARKS

· LIU opened the season with an 83-52 loss at Rutgers on Nov. 2 before falling 69-51 at Texas State on Nov. 4.

· The Sharks feature 15 players on their roster, including seven returners and eight newcomers.

· Senior guard Janessa Williams, a 2025-26 First Team All-NEC selection and 2026-27 Preseason All-NEC honoree, leads the Sharks. She averaged 13.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game last season and is averaging 20.5 points through the first two games this year. Williams scored 22 points at Rutgers and 19 at Texas State while shooting 17-of-22 (77.3%) from the floor.

· Sophomore Leila Nuñez poured in 18 points, including four three-pointers, at Texas State. She leads LIU with seven made three-pointers and five blocks through two games. Nuñez ranked second in the NEC with 1.3 blocks per game last season, while her twin sister, Carmela, also suits up for the Sharks.

· Senior forward Laura Molnarova has collected 13 rebounds through two games, including 11 in the season opener. She joined LIU after transferring from James Madison.

VENNER MAKES HER MARK

· Meredith Venner opened the 2026-27 campaign by scoring Pitt's first points of the season and finishing with 22 points and nine rebounds, just one board shy of a double-double.

· She shot 8-of-12 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line while grabbing seven offensive rebounds and adding two blocks.

· Venner scored 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor and a perfect 4-of-4 from the line in 16 first-half minutes.

· She became the third different Pitt player in the last five seasons to record at least 22 points and nine rebounds in a game, joining Liatu King (11 times) and Khadija Faye (eight times). Both King and Faye went on to earn First Team All-ACC honors.

TARYN SETS THE TONE

· Taryn Barbot poured in 25 points in the season opener, tying Khadija Faye (2024) for the most points by a Panther in a season opener in program history.

· She tied her career high with six steals, and her teams own a 9-1 record all-time when she records at least five steals in a game.

· Barbot finished 9-of-22 from the floor and found her rhythm in the second half, shooting 6-of-10 with a pair of three-pointers. She also dished out four assists.

· Her twin sister, Taylor Barbot, contributed six points, seven assists and three steals in the victory.

PRESSURE COOKER

· Pitt turned up the defensive pressure against Saint Peter's, forcing 20 steals and converting them into 26 points off turnovers while allowing just four.

· Taryn Barbot led the defensive effort with six steals, while Jamisen Hill and Alancia Ramsey recorded four apiece and Taylor Barbot added three.

· It marked the 30th time in her Division I head coaching career that a Robin Harmony-led team has recorded at least 20 steals. Harmony's teams are a perfect 30-0 in those contests.

· The 20-steal performance marked Pitt's first game with at least 15 steals since a November 2024 matchup against Delaware State.

SECOND CHANCES AND A BIG THIRD

· The Panthers capitalized on their opportunities on the offensive glass, scoring 23 second-chance points against the Peacocks.

· Pitt broke the game open in the third quarter, outscoring Saint Peter's 27-12 while shooting 9-of-14 from the floor and connecting on its final five field-goal attempts of the period.