Pitt
(12-6, 2-3ACC)
Syracuse
(14-5, 4-2ACC)
Pitt Falls to No. 23/22 Syracuse, 68-60
1/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Box Score | Box Score (PDF) | Season Statistics | Photo Gallery
PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh women's basketball team (12-6, 2-3 ACC) fell to No. 23/22 Syracuse University (14-5, 4-2 ACC) by the score of 68-60 on Thursday night at the Petersen Events Center.
The Panthers had four players in double figures, but gave up two costly offensive rebounds on back-ends of Syracuse free throws in the final minute of the game which helped the Orange preserve the victory.
Monica Wignot led the Panthers in scoring with 16 points and made four of her seven shots from downtown. She also added four rebounds and four blocks. Brianna Kiesel filled up the stat sheet with 14 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, while Stasha Carey had her fifth career double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Yacine Diop added 12 points.
"This is a frustrating loss," head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio said. "We had our chances down the stretch, but we made two bad turnovers and we didn't defend like we needed to. During crunch time you have to make plays -- Syracuse did and we didn't."
The Orange opened the scoring as Brianna Butler, the ACC leader in 3-pointers made per game, nailed her first attempt from long range. Despite back and forth action the first half provided, the Orange played with the lead for the entire opening 20 minutes.
Kiesel and Carey kept the Panthers in the game early as they combined to score Pitt's first 17 points. Kiesel had nine, while Carey added eight. Diop would score the next four Pitt points, but the Panthers trailed 24-21 at the under four media timeout.
Pitt had an opportunity to claim its first lead of the game, but missed a pair of free throws, and the Orange scored the next six points to extend its lead to 30-23. Fred Potvin would connect on a 3-pointer with less than a minute to play for the Panthers and that was the final scoring of the half as Pitt trailed 30-26 at the break.
Pitt shot 35 percent in the half and turned the ball over 10 times, but out-rebounded the Orange 20-15, eight of which came on the offensive glass. SU shot 46 percent in the first half.
With Syracuse leading 34-30, Diop tied the game for the first time with back-to-back contested layups. The Panthers then took their first lead at 38-37 with a driving layup from Aysia Bugg, and from that point, the lead would change hands on six consecutive possessions, capped off on a 3-pointer from Wignot to give the Panthers a 46-44 lead with 12:17 remaining.
From there, however, Syracuse scored the next eight points which gave the Orange a 52-46 advantage, but Wignot stayed hot from distance and drilled consecutive triples which evened the score at 52. Wignot scored 14 of her game-high 16 in the second half.
With SU clinging to a 62-60 lead with 3:31 remaining, the Panthers had a chance to tie or take the lead, but turned the ball over on offense. SU's Diamond Henderson then hit a jumper to put the Orange up 64-40 with 2:21 remaining.
After the Panthers failed to convert on offense and were forced to foul, Syracuse corralled two offensive rebounds on free throw attempts and was able to seal an eight point victory.
Syracuse also had four players in double figures, including Cornelia Fondren (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Briana Day (11 points, 10 rebounds) who each notched double-doubles. The two teams were equal in rebounding at 40 apiece.
The Panthers have a quick turnaround as they host Boston College on Saturday afternoon in Pitt's annual Pink the Petersen Breast Cancer Awareness game. Tip is set for 4 p.m.
