Women's Hoops Takes On Cincinnati
11/27/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Women's Hoops Takes On Cincinnati
11/27/1999
PITTSBURGH - All-Time Series - Pittsburgh's contest with Cincinnati marks only the second time the two teams have met. The Panthers and Bearcats last faced off on Dec. 5, 1982 at Fitzergald Field House, and Cincinnati came out with the 85-59 victory.
The Panthers hold a 2-2 all-time record versus Conference USA opponents with the wins coming over DePaul and Tulane, and losses to Cincinnati and Houston. Pittsburgh took an 85-84 overtime win over DePaul at Fitzgerald Field House, Dec. 6, 1980 in the Pitt Invitational, and a 71-66 victory over Tulane March 26, 1994, in the Panthers lone appearance in the Women's National Invitation Tournament.
Traci Waites is in her second season as head coach at Pittsburgh where she has compiled a 10-19 overall record.
During her debut last season, Waites sent the Panthers on a dramatic 4-0 run to start the year, a feat that had not been accomplished since the 1982-83 season. She additionally led Pittsburgh to eight victories on the year, marking two more than it achieved in all of the prior season.
Waites joined the Panthers after serving four seasons at the University of Arizona as an assistant coach, including the last two as associate head coach. While there, Waites was instrumental in the Wildcats' emergence as a Top 10 program, helping them to three straight 20-win seasons and two NCAA Tournament berths.
Prior to Arizona, Waites was the head coach at Santa Monica Community College in Santa Monica, Calif., from 1993-94 after serving the program as an assistant for three years. During her tenure, Waites' teams finished second in the Western States Conference and qualified for the state playoffs each year.
Waites enjoyed an outstanding collegiate playing career, first at Georgia and then at Long Beach State. She played in the NCAA Tournament each of her four seasons and went to two Final Fours. She holds the distinction of being the only player to appear in the Final Four for two different teams.
Cincinnati Head Coach
Laurie Pirtle is in her 14th season as head coach at Cincinnati where she has compiled a 165-205 overall mark.
Pirtle has achieved five winning seasons at the helm, including three-straight from 1996-99. She has additionally posted back- to-back 20-win seasons, including last year's 22-9 mark which included a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Pirtle earned the Metro Conference's Coach of the Year honor in 1989 when she led Cincinnati to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
Prior to her tenure with the Bearcats, Pirtle served as the head coach at Division III's Capital University where she posted an 83-16 overall mark from 1982-86. While there, Pirtle led the Crusaders to NCAA Tournament twice, including a berth in the Final Four in 1985-86.
The Panthers' only other loss to a Conference USA opponent was to Houston, 111-51, Dec. 2, 1990 in the Buckeye Classic.
Cincinnati Bearcats
F #25 Katrina Merriweather (5-8, Jr.) 4.0 ppg., 3.5 rpg. F #23 Candice Holley (6-2, Fr.) 10.5 ppg., 4.5 rpg. C #14 Laura Wilder (6-1, So.) 8.5 ppg., 5.5 rpg. G #12 Madinah Slaise (5-10, Sr.) 11.0 ppg., 3.0 rpg. G #33 Candace Roberson (5-5, Sr.) 4.5, ppg., 3.5, rpg.
Pittsburgh Panthers
F #32 Dallas Williams (6-0, Fr.) 8.5 ppg., 4.5 rpg. F #50 Mandy Wittenmyer (6-2, Fr.) 9.0 ppg., 5.5 rpg. C #40 Nickeia Morris (6-7, Sr.) 8.5, ppg., 10.5, rpg. G #14 Gina Montesano (5-9, Sr.*) 7.5 ppg., 5.0 rpg. G #24 Monique Toney (5-5, Jr.) 14.5, ppg., 3.0, rpg.
A Sort of Homecoming The contest with Cincinnati will be a sort of homecoming for four Pittsburh players who are Cincinnati natives. Senior Nickeia Morris will play in her hometown of Cincinnati for the first time in her career when the Panthers take on the Bearcats. Morris was a standout at Western Hills High School. Freshman Dallas Williams will also be making an appearance in front of a home crowd. She was a two-time Cincinnati Player of the Year selection and a graduate of Mason High.
Also from the Buckeye State are sophomore Jackie Campbell (Munroe Falls), and freshman Robyn Swain (Xenia).
Rounding out Exhibition Pittsburgh completed its exhibition slate Nov. 17 with an 85-74 loss to the Premier All-Stars to bring its record to 1-1 in preseason competition. The Panthers previously took a 64-50 decision over RTU Clondica Riga Nov. 9.
Successful Openers The Panthers have a strong history of success in their season-openers. With the 80-43 rout of Lafayette Nov. 21, Pittsburgh increased its overall mark in opening contests to 19-7 and 13-3 at Fitzgerald. Additionally, the 37-point victory over the Leopards stands tied for the Panthers fifth-largest margin of victory over an opponent in the 25-year history of the program. Pittsburgh's largest margin of victory came in a 109-45 win over Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Dec. 12, 1975.
Following is a breakdown of Pittsburgh's largest victories:
Date Opponent Score Margin 12-12-75 IUP 109-45 64 pts. 12-6-74 Duquesne 91-32 59 pts. 11-22-83 Fairmont St 100-55 45 pts. 11-14-98 Robert Morris 89-49 40 pts. 12-2-77 Temple 77-40 37 pts. 11-21-99 Lafayette 80-43 37 pts.
Knocking 'em Down Throughout much of last season, Pittsburgh had one of the top scoring defenses in the Big East Conference and finished the season allowing 67.9 points per game. The Panthers also had one of the lowest scoring offenses, though, as they averaged just 59.6 points per game.
This season, however, the Panthers have begun a different trend. They put 80 points on the board in their season-opener with Lafayette and 63 versus Robert Morris Nov. 24. In two exhibition games they averaged 69.0 points. The Panthers knocked down 74 points versus RTU Clondica and almost matched their second-highest single-game total from 1998-99.
The most points scored by the Panthers last year was 89 against Robert Morris, and they sank 75 versus Miami (Ohio) and St. John's.
Tough Slate Pittsburgh will play 13 home games this season, the most since the 1996-97 season when it had 15 home contests.
The Panthers will also face some tough competition on their schedule, including six teams which advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 1998-99. Additionally, five of Pittsburgh's opponents are ranked in the USAToday/ESPN Coaches and Associated Press polls, including Connecticut, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Penn State and Boston College.
Looking for Another Good Start This season, Pittsburgh is looking to duplicate the early success it enjoyed last year and so far it is on the right track. The Panthers are 2-0 on the season after recording an 80-43 decision over Lafayette, Nov. 21 and a 63-45 win over Robert Morris, Nov. 24.
Pittsburgh had a strong start to the 1998-99 season, going 4-0 through its first four games, a feat that had not been accomplished since the 1982-83 season when they were 5-0.
Pittsburgh recorded wins over Robert Morris (89-49), Miami (Ohio) (75-56), Penn State (49-46) and Richmond (69-66). Its first loss did not come until Dec. 2 in a 75-40 setback to Ohio State.
Nonconference Foes The Panthers play a 12-game nonconference schedule in 1999-2000 which began Nov. 21 against Lafayette. The slate includes 8th-ranked (USA Today/ESPN) Penn State and Cincinnati, and they will play eight games prior to Christmas. Following the holiday break, the Panthers travel to Atlanta for the Georgia Tech Tournament, where the field includes the host Yellow Jackets, Campbell and Western Michigan.
Last season, the Panthers were 5-4 overall against nonconfernce foes, including an impressive 3-0 mark on their home court. Their home wins included decisions over Robert Morris, Miami (Ohio) and an upset-win over Penn State.
Solid on the Boards The Panthers have established themselves on the boards so far this season, outrebounding each of their opponents.
In their season-opener, the Panthers had a plus-12 rebounding margin with their 46 boards, compared to the Leopards' 34. Against Robert Morris, the Panthers grabbed 42 rebounds to the Colonials 34.
In both exhibition contests, Pittsburgh also outrebounded its opponents. Against RTU Clondica, the Panthers grabbed 49 boards to the Lativian team's 32. The Premier All-Stars proved to be tougher on the boards, but the Panthers still held on for a plus-four margin (34-30).
New Faces Pittsburgh will have one of the youngest lineups in the Big East Conference when they take the court in 1999- 2000. The Panthers welcome eight new faces to their lineup this year, including five freshmen who all will vie for time in the lineup.
Pittsburgh also boasts two junior college transfers in Autumn Alexander and Celeste Barkley, as well as Bettina Love, a transfer from Old Dominion, to complement the six returnees from 1998-99. (Love will be ineligible this season due to the NCAA transfer rule.)
Freshmen Impact This season's freshmen have made an immediate impact. In Pittsburgh's season-opener with Lafayette, the freshmen tallied 43 of the 80 points scored, and against the Premier All-Stars during the exhibition season, Pittsburgh's youngest class accounted for 51 of its 74 points. In the win over RTU Clondica, they had 29 of the 64 points.
Pittsburgh's youngest class has also been solid on the boards. The freshmen had 24 of 49 total rebounds against RTU Clondica and 21 of 34 in the game with Premier. Against Lafayette, they pulled down 17 of 46 rebounds.
Additionally, two freshmen have emerged in the starting rotation. Forward Mandy Wittenmyer earned the nod in the first two games along with Dallas Williams.
Welcome Back The Panthers welcome back six returnees with a wealth of experience to their lineup. Highlighting the list is fifth-year senior Gina Montesano.
Montesano sat out last season with a knee injury and returns to lead the Panthers' offense. She was sidelined after being the Panthers' second-leading scorer in 1997-98 with 8.7 points per game while adding 56 assists and 30 steals.
She returned to the lineup in Pittsburgh's first exhibition contest to take over the starting job at the point. Montesano returned in possibly the best shape of her career and seemed to not even miss a beat. She saw 24 minutes of play and sank 12 points, including an impressive 10 in the first half. Through two regular season games Montesano is averaging 7.5 points and 5.0 rebounds, while also tallying five assists and four steals.
Mandy Madness Pittsburgh freshman Mandy Wittenmyer made her mark with an impressive exhibition season and continued her solid play in the first two games.
The Mechanicsburg, Pa., native was the lone freshman to earn a starting nod in the first exhibition game. The 6-2 forward came just two assists shy of a triple-double Nov. 9 against RTU Clondica Riga. Wittenmyer led the game with her 15 rebounds and added 12 points and eight assists.
Wittenmyer continued to impress in the second game against the Premier All-Stars. She accounted for 16 points and eight rebounds. Against Lafayette, she led the Panthers with her 12 points, while adding six rebounds and five assists. Wittenmyer averaged 33 minutes of action in the two exhibition games, and 14.0 points and 11.5 rebounds, the most of any Panther. She is currently second on the team with her 9.0 scoring average in games versus Lafayette and Robert Morris.
Dazzling Dallas Freshman Dallas Williams has dazzled the Panthers' coaching staff so far this season and earned herself a spot in the starting rotation. The Mason, Ohio native, came off the bench in Pittsburgh's first exhibition contest before receiving the starting nod against the Premier All-Stars when she had eight points and six rebounds. Williams chipped in another eight points in the first official start of her career against Lafayette in 21 minutes of play.
Against Robert Morris she continued her stellar play and was the Panthers' second-leading scorer with nine points and seven rebounds in a season-high 30 minutes of action.
Magnificent Monique Junior Monique Toney has picked up right where she left off at the end of her 1998-99 campaign. She earned a starting role in the last nine games of the season, and has jumped into the Panthers' starting rotation at the shooting guard position this year.
Toney put up an impressive performance against Robert Morris. She led an early second-half scoring rally and recorded a game- high 18 points, including 13 in the second-half.
In her first exhibition game, the 5-5 guard scored a team-high 14 points, including 2-of-3 3-pointers and three assists. Against Lafayette, Toney contributed 11 points and four assists.
Familiar Face Local Pittsburgh fans may recognize a familiar face in the Panthers' lineup in Brooke Stewart. The 5-8 guard is an area fan-favorite and product of East Allegheny High School. Stewart, who finished her high school career with over 3,000 points, averaged 29.0 points in her career and 31.2 as a senior.
Through the Panthers' first two games, Stewart is averaging six points and three rebounds in 15.5 minutes of play. She saw her first collegiate action in Pittsburgh's exhibition game Nov. 9 with 11 minutes against RTU Clondica. In just her second game, Stewart had an impressive 18 points to lead the Panthers over the Premier All-Stars.
Noting Nickeia Returning for her senior campaign is 6-7 center Nickeia Morris. The tallest women's basketball player in Pittsburgh history is back in the starting lineup after being the Panthers' leading rebounder and scorer last season. She averaged 13.1 points and 8.2 rebounds as a junior and saw 30.4 minutes of action.
Morris took home her first double-double of 1999-2000 with a game-high 11 rebounds and 11 points versus Lafayette and added 10 rebounds and six points against Robert Morris.
In two exhibition games, Morris averaged 7.5 points and 7.0 rebounds. Though her numbers may seemed to have dropped off this year, it is only because she has not seen as much time due to the added depth in the lineup. The Panthers are looking to limit Morris' time on the court and utilize Pittsburgh's many newcomers in the frontcourt.
Magical Morris Morris will be one Pittsburgh player to watch this season. She entered her senior campaign ranked 10th in Pittsburgh's annals with 533 career rebounds and has already moved into the number-nine spot with 21 boards this season. Last season, she had 222 on the season and finshed the year ranked fourth in the Big East.
Morris is already off to a quick start this season, and if she matches her numbers from the 1998-99 season, she would rank among the top seven rebounders in Pittsburgh history when she completes her career. In Pittsburgh's opener, she grabbed a game- high 11 rebounds and added 10 against Robert Morris to elevate her to ninth on the list.
Career Rebound Leaders
Name Total Morris Needs 1. Wanda Randolph. . . . . 1,107 . . . . 554 2. Gail Aughburns. . . . . 1,007 . . . . 454 3. Jennifer Bruce. . . . . 998 . . ......445 4. Pam Miklasevich . . . . 968 . . ......415 5. Jonna Huemrich. . . . . 954 . . ......401 6. Lorri Johnson . . . . . 908 . . ......355 7. Latia Howard ...........664. . . . . .111 8. Sally Sheerer . . . . . 580 . . ......27 9. Nickeia Morris. . . . . 554
Blocking Bliss Morris has also been one of Pittsburgh's best and most consistent blockers throughout her career. She ranked eighth on the all-time list with 145 career blocks heading into this season, but elevated herself to seventh all-time with five blocks against Lafayette. If Morris continues on this pace and matches her 1998-99 numbers, she could rank as high as third on the all- time list.
Career Blocked Shots Leaders
Name Total Morris Needs 1. Gail Aughburns. . . . . 241 . . .90 2. Wanda Randolf . . . . . 211 . . .60 3. Jennifer Bruce. . . . . 203 . . .52 4. Connie Hurt. ...........189.. . .38 5. Kim Tirik. . ...........170. . .19 6. Jill McElhinny. . . . . 162 . . .11 7. Nickeia Morris. . . . . 152
The Road Ahead Pittsburgh will return to its home court for two games following the contest with Cincinnati.
The Panthers will take on Kent on Dec. 1 at 5 p.m. and Ohio University on Dec. 4 at 7 p.m.
Waites Signs Three
Head Coach Traci Waites announced the signing of three prospects to national letters-of-intent for the 2000-01 season. The signees marks her second full recruiting class.
The three recruits include Jackie Fournier, a 5-9 guard from Swansea, Mass., Jennifer Kelleher, a 6-1 forward from Plymouth, Mass., and Sheila Stufflet, a 6-2 center/forward from Sinking Spring, Pa.
"As a whole, this class exemplifies the things our program believes in," Waites said. "They have a great work ethic, they are winners, but most importantly, they are good students.
"They will add more depth to our lineup because of their versatility. All three can play dual roles."
Fournier, a two-time second-team All-State selection, is a three-year starter at St. Raphael's Academy in Pawtucket, R.I. She led her team with 16.8 points and 2.5 steals and averaged 5.7 rebounds as a junior. She was a 1999 Street & Smith's honorable mention All-American and named one of the top players to watch by USAToday. Fournier additionally is one of the top softball players in Rhode Island, where she is a three-time All-State honoree and leads the state in career no-hitters.
Kelleher averaged 14.5 points and seven rebounds at Plymouth North High as a junior. She is a three-time Atlantic Coast League All-Star selection and was named to the 1999 Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic girls basketball team. A team captain, Kelleher was selected to the 1998-99 Rising Stars, East Region edition of America's Best. Additionally, Kelleher was a member of four AAU state champion teams and is a four-time United States Junior Nationals competitor.
Stufflet, a 1999 Street & Smith's honorable mention All-American and a USAToday top player to watch, is a three-year starter at Wilson Senior High. She averaged 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 3.5 steals as a junior and was selected All-District. She is a two- time All-Berks County honoree and scored her 1,000th-career point during the 1998-99 season. Stufflet is also a member of the Philadelphia Belles AAU team and has attended the NIKE Invitation Blue Star Camp.
1999-2000 Pittsburgh Highs
--- T E A M H I G H S ---
POINTS 80 vs LAFAYETTE 11/21/99
FG Made 35 vs LAFAYETTE 11/21/99
FG Att. 68 vs LAFAYETTE 11/21/99
FG % .515 (35-68) vs LAFAYETTE 11/21/99
3 PT FG Made 4 vs LAFAYETTE 11/21/99
3 PT FG Att. 12 vs LAFAYETTE 11/21/99
3 PT FG % .333 (4-12) vs LAFAYETTE 11/21/99
FT Made 14 at Robert Morris 11/24/99
FT Att. 21 at Robert Morris 11/24/99
FT % .667 (14-21) at Robert Morris 11/24/99
REBOUNDS 46 vs LAFAYETTE 11/21/99
ASSISTS 27 vs LAFAYETTE 11/21/99
STEALS 11 at Robert Morris 11/24/99
BLOCKED SHOTS 6 vs LAFAYETTE 11/21/99
TURNOVERS 16 vs LAFAYETTE 11/21/99
16 at Robert Morris 11/24/99
FOULS 15 vs LAFAYETTE 11/21/99
15 at Robert Morris 11/24/99
--- T E A M L O W S ---
POINTS 63 at Robert Morris 11/24/99
FG Made 23 at Robert Morris 11/24/99
FG Att. 59 at Robert Morris 11/24/99
FG % .390 (23-59) at Robert Morris 11/24/99
3 PT FG Made 3 at Robert Morris 11/24/99
3 PT FG Att. 10 at Robert Morris 11/24/99
3 PT FG % .300 (3-10) at Robert Morris 11/24/99
FT Made 6 vs LAFAYETTE 11/21/99
FT Att. 16 vs LAFAYETTE 11/21/99
FT % .375 (6-16) vs LAFAYETTE 11/21/99
REBOUNDS 42 at Robert Morris 11/24/99
ASSISTS 13 at Robert Morris 11/24/99
STEALS 10 vs LAFAYETTE 11/21/99
BLOCKED SHOTS 3 at Robert Morris 11/24/99
TURNOVERS 16 vs LAFAYETTE 11/21/99
16 at Robert Morris 11/24/99
FOULS 15 vs LAFAYETTE 11/21/99
15 at Robert Morris 11/24/99
Panthers on the Air
"The Traci Waites Show"
This season Pittsburgh fans have the opportunity to keep up with the Panthers and Head Coach Traci Waites on the weekly "Traci Waites Show." Pittsburgh's own WPTS 92.1 FM will host the first-ever women's basketball coach's radio show on Thursdays from 4:30-5 p.m.
Coach Waites and host Patrick Robertson will discuss the team's progress and its upcoming opponents. Special guest appearances will also be made from select Panther players throughout the year.
NOTE: The "Traci Waites Show" will not air on Nov. 25, Dec. 23 and 30 due to holiday breaks.
The Home of the Panthers...
WPTS 92.1 FM will also carry every Panther home game over the airwaves. You can tune in at game time to hear all of the excitement at Fitzgerald Field House - the home of Pittsburgh Basketball. Stay tuned at the conclusion of each game for live interviews from Pittsburgh players and coaches.
