Pitt Drop Close One In Overtime To Ball State, 68-66

Sunday, December 11

Pittsburgh, Pa.

12:00 PM

Pitt

6-4,0-0ACC

Ball State

8-2,0-0MAC

OT 1

Ball St.

Pittsburgh

Pitt Drop Close One In Overtime To Ball State, 68-66

12/11/2022 3:52:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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PITTSBURGH – The Pitt women's basketball team (6-4, 0-0 ACC) dropped a heartbreaker in overtime to the Ball State Cardinals Sunday afternoon by the score of 68-66. Senior captain Amber Brown netted 20 points and 17 rebounds in the loss for the Panthers.

With the game tied 60-60 with 19.9 seconds to go in regulation, the Panthers had a chance at the buzzer to win the game as Liatu King had a clean look from the top of the key but her jumper bounced around and out to send the game to overtime.
In overtime, King finished off an offensive rebound and layup to the cut the Ball State lead to one, 67-66, and the Panthers defense did the job on the other end as they forced a missed step-back triple to give Pitt a chance for the win. On the ensuing inbounds play, Brown drove into the lane with the clock running down and came up just short on a floater with the Ball State defender draped all over her. The Cardinals then made a free throw and time expired with the road team on top 68-66.

Brown had a monster game in the loss for Pitt as she tied a career-high with 20 points, a career-best 17 rebounds, three blocks and two assists in a career-high 42 minutes of action. King also had a strong game in the loss as she finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots while playing 39 minutes.

The Panthers hosted their 2^nd Annual ASL Deaf Awareness Game to raise awareness for the dead community. The night touches close to home for King as she grew up in a quiet household with two deaf parents. She finished off her big game with 19 points, seven rebounds and four blocks across 39 minutes of action.

ESSENTIAL GAME INFO
Pitt starting lineup: Marley Washenitz, Maliyah Johnson, Emy Hayford, Liatu King, Amber Brown
Ball State starting lineup: Thelma Dis Agustadottir, Anna Clephane, Ally Becki, Marie Kiefer, Madelyn Bischoff, Alex Richard
Records: Pitt (6-4, 0-0 ACC) | Ball State (8-2, 0-0 MAC)
Location: Petersen Events Center | Pittsburgh, PA

FIRST QUARTER

Liatu King got the Panthers offense going right away Sunday as she netted eight of the first 10 points for the Pitt as they took the 12-2 lead and forced the Cardinals into a timeout before the media timeout.
After the Ball State timeout, the Cardinals flipped the script on Pitt as they scored the final 14 points of the quarter to take the 16-12 lead into the second.
King led the Panthers with eight points, three rebounds and a block in the opening frame.

SECOND QUARTER

Amber Brown took over the start of the second quarter for the Panthers as she finished off a layup and four straight free throws to send the game to the media timeout tied 18-18.
The Cardinals responded with a pair of triples over the next three minutes to take the 26-22 lead but King finished the scoring for Pitt in the half with back-to-back layups.
Ball State closed out the scoring with a deep triple to take the 29-26 lead into the halftime locker room.

THIRD QUARTER

The Cardinals came out of the locker room firing as they connected on three triples in the first three minutes of the half to force Pitt into a timeout with the Panthers trailing 43-30.
After the timeout, Brown finished off a layup and Johnson hit a jumper in the lane to cut the Ball State lead to nine, 43-34, at the media timeout.
Out of the media, Pitt cut the Ball State lead to four, 47-43, as Dayshanette Harris finished off a layup and free throw and then another fastbreak jumper.
The Cardinals were able to end the quarter with back-to-back triples to take the 53-43 lead into the fourth.

FOURTH QUARTER

The Panthers came out strong in the fourth as they went on a 10-0 run thanks to a triple by Maliyah Johnson and a hook shot in the paint by Brown, tying the game 53-53.
The Cardinals pushed their lead to 59-57 with under two minutes to go on a free throw but the Panthers didn't flinch. Brown came right back with a layup and a free throw to give the Panthers the 60-59 lead with 1:10 to go.
Ball State tied the game up 60-60 with 21.6 seconds to go but Brown grabbed the second free throw attempt miss to give Pitt a chance to win the game at the buzzer.
On the ensuing inbound play, King got a great look from the top of the key but her jumper bounced around and out to send the game to overtime.

OVERTIME

Brown went coast-to-coast to score the first bucket of overtime and King followed that up with a layup of her own to give Pitt the 64-60 lead early in the extra frame.
Ball State responded with seven straight points to take the 67-64 lead with 1:29 to play in the overtime.
After a big layup by King cut the Pitt deficit to one, 67-66, the Panthers defense held and gave the Panthers a chance for the win once again.
On the ensuing inbound play, Brown drove the lane to her left and threw up a floater that came up just short as the Cardinals secured the rebound and the win.

TEAM STATS

The two teams shot the same exact percentage from the floor as they both went 24-for-66 from the floor (36.4%). The Cardinals however, held the 10-1 edge in three-point field goals in the win.
Pitt finished the afternoon with 50 rebounds including 15 on the offensive glass but only scored nine second chance points.
Pitt dominated the paint 44-24 while the Ball State bench outscored Pitt 30-13 for the game.

GAME FLOW
Largest lead: Pitt – 10, Ball State - 13
Lead changes: 5
Times tied: 9
Time with lead: Pitt – 10:56 | Ball State – 27:14
Points off turnovers: Pitt - 16 | Ball State - 15
Points in paint: Pitt – 44 | Ball State - 24
Second chance points: Pitt – 9 | Ball State - 9
Fast break points: Pitt – 6 | Ball State - 8
Bench points: Pitt – 13 | Ball State - 30

UP NEXT

Pitt returns to the Pete next Sunday at 2:00 pm as they open ACC play with the Louisville Cardinals. Sunday's game will air on ACC Network.

PITT NOTES
Team

The loss marked Pitt's first against Ball State in the all-time series. Pitt is now 4-1 against the Cardinals.
Pitt grabbed a season-high 50 rebounds in the loss. They have now grabbed at least 40 rebounds in six games this season.
The Pitt defense has held 38 of their last 40 opponents to 45% or less shooting from the floor
Pitt had four players score in double figures for the first time this season.
The Panthers scored a season-high 44 points in the paint in the loss.

Amber Brown

Finished off her game with 20 points, 17 rebounds, three blocks and two assists in 42 minutes of work
Went 7-for-10 from the floor and 6-for-8 from the free throw line
The 20-point night tied her career-high as she now has two games with 20 points in her career, both this season
The 17 rebounds were a new career-high as she grabbed 14 of them on the defensive end of the floor
The double-double was her first of the season and ninth of her career
The three blocks were a career-high