Pitt Rallies Late but Falls 79-78 at SMU

Sunday, February 15

Dallas, TX

12 PM

Pitt

8-19,1-13ACC

SMU

9-17,2-12ACC

Pittsburgh

SMU

Pitt Rallies Late but Falls 79-78 at SMU

2/15/2026 2:25:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

DALLAS – Pitt's second half comeback fell just short as the Panthers dropped a 79-78 contest to SMU Sunday afternoon inside Moody Coliseum.

The Panthers (8-19, 1-13 ACC) trailed 35-15 midway through the second quarter before mounting a relentless comeback behind a dominant performance from Theresa Hagans Jr. The freshman guard poured in a career-high 33 points on 12-of-18 shooting and a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line, while adding six assists and a career-high six steals in an all-around 35-minute performance.

Megan Hollingsworth added a career-high 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting and Mikayla Johnson recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Pitt finished the game shooting 43.1 percent from the field and held a 42-41 edge on the glass.

HOW IT HAPPENED

After a slow start that saw SMU build a 25-13 lead after the first quarter and extend it to 46-25 at halftime, Pitt flipped the momentum, scoring the first basket in the third en route to a 27-point quarter. The Panthers shot 50 percent in the frame and cut the deficit to eight entering the fourth.

Pitt continued to apply pressure down the stretch, using a 12-0 run in the final period to erase the gap and make it a one-possession game. The Panthers dominated in transition, holding a 24-13 advantage in fast break points and outscoring SMU 40-32 in the paint.

SMU shot 45.8 percent from three-point range (11-of-24), including seven first half makes that proved critical in building its early cushion. Zahra King led the Mustangs with 23 points, while Ayanna Thompson added 15.

GAME NOTES