Pitt
(7-3)
Ball State
(4-5)
Kiesel, Carey Lead Pitt Past Ball State, 59-47
12/18/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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PITTSBURGH - Led by Brianna Kiesel's game-high 22 points and Stasha Carey's third double-double of the season, the University of Pittsburgh women's basketball team defeated Ball State University 59-47 on Thursday evening at the Petersen Events Center.
Making her 100th consecutive start, Kiesel connected on 8-of-12 from the floor, including 4-of-6 from long range, while adding four rebounds, two assists and three steals. Carey had 12 points and 13 rebounds and the Panther are now 3-0 when she goes for a double-double.
Pitt (7-3) won the game with a solid defensive effort. The Panthers held Ball State (4-5) to 37.5 percent shooting and out-rebounded the Cardinals 42-32. Pitt forced 19 BSU turnovers and cashed that into 23 points. They also tied a season-high with 11 steals.
"We made some timely shots tonight," head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio said. "Credit our players, we made plays down the stretch and were able to get to the free throw line late in the game. Brianna [Kiesel] came up with some huge steals tonight which helped us maintain our lead."
As the two teams jockeyed for position, the lead would change hands five times until a 12-1 run gave the Panthers control heading into the locker room.
With the game tied 18-18 at the five minute mark of the opening half, back-to-back layups from Carey and Aysia Bugg were followed by consecutive 3-pointers from Kiesel which pushed Pitt's lead to 10 at 28-18.
Monica Wignot would add an offensive rebound and put-back which capped off the first half scoring for Pitt. Ball State tacked on one free throw as the Panthers took a 30-19 lead into halftime.
Both teams shot 38 percent in the opening half, but led by Carey's nine first half boards, the Panthers out-rebounded the Cardinals 22-13 in the half. Kiesel had 12 points at the break to lead the all scorers.
The Panthers scored seven of the first 10 points to start the second half, and Yacine Diop's fast break layup stretched the Pitt lead to 37-22 and forced Ball State into a timeout with 16:30 remaining in the game.
Ball State however, would hang around and a 3-pointer from Jill Morrison got the Cardinals within seven (52-45) with 3:55 remaining in the contest, the closest they had been since the 3:30 mark of the first half.
From that point though, Pitt buckled down on defense to force three-consecutive Ball State turnovers. The third turnover resulted in a 3-pointer from Kiesel which stretched the Panthers' lead back to 10 (55-45) with 1:45 remaining and essentially put the game out of reach.
The Cardinals' leading scorer Nathalie Fontaine had a team-high 15 points for Ball State.
The Panthers have now won six in a row at the Petersen Events Center and will be tested on Sunday afternoon when the host Youngstown State who is undefeated at 9-0. Tip is set for 2 p.m.
