Pitt
1-2,0-0ACC
George Mason
4-0,0-0Atlantic 10
Pitt Falls On Road To George Mason Wednesday Afternoon
11/15/2023 6:22:00 PM | Women's Basketball
FAIRFAX, VA — Despite a late comeback effort, the Pitt women's basketball team (1-2, 0-0 ACC) fell on the road Wednesday afternoon to the George Mason Patriots by the score of 60-52.
Aislin Malcolm had the best game of her young career in the loss as she had a career-high 18 points and three assists. Liatu King finished off her third straight double-double to start the season for the Panthers as she finished with 10 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks and two steals in the loss. Aaryn Battle had a career game for Pitt as she netted 10 points off the bench while Rapuluchi Ayodele finished with eight points and 14 rebounds.
As a team, Pitt shot 36.1% from the floor while the Patriots shot 37.9%. The Panthers were able to win the rebounding battle once again as they grabbed 45 boards (17 offensive) in the loss. The difference in the game once again was turnovers for Pitt as they had 20 that the Patriots turned into 26 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Pitt opened up an early 7-4 lead as Aislin Malcolm finished off back-to-back buckets, the later after a nice steal at the top of the paint. A quick 8-0 run for the Patriots gave them the 16-9 lead late in the first quarter but Malcolm buried her first triple of the season and Aaryn Battle finished off a layup at the buzzer to make it 18-14 in favor of George Mason at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter started with a triple by Jala Jordan to cut the George Mason advantage to 18-17 but the Patriots came right back with an 11-1 run to make it 29-19 midway through the quarter. Malcolm hit a hook shot in the lane to tie a career-high with nine first half points but the Patriots ended the half with a triple to take the 37-22 lead into the locker room.
After the Patriots opened the third with four straight to push their lead to 41-22, the Panthers were ignited by tough defense over the next four minutes as they forced five turnovers. Pitt used an 11-0 run sparked by a Malcolm triple to make the score 41-33 in favor of the Patriots with under four to play in the quarter. After five points by George Mason, Rapuluchi Ayodele finished off the scoring in the quarter with three points to make it 46-36 in favor of the Patriots through 30 minutes.
The Panthers were able to make a strong push in the final quarter as Bella Perkins opened the quarter with a jumper and Malcolm finished off a layup through contact to make it 46-42 in favor of the Patriots early on. George Mason battled back and pushed their lead to 13, 57-44, midway through the final frame. Down the stretch, the Panthers got back within five after another Malcolm layup but Pitt wasn't able to get any closer as they fell 60-52 on the road.
GAME NOTES
- With the loss, Pitt is now 3-1 all-time against George Mason including a 0-1 mark on the road in the series. Pitt also falls to 47-28 all-time against A-10 opponents
- Malcolm had a career-high and team-high 18 points on 8-for-15 from the floor
- King notched her third straight double-double to start the season as she netted 10 points and 14 rebounds
- Battle finished off the best game of her career with 10 points in the loss
- Ayodele notched her third straight game grabbing double digit rebounds as she snagged 14 in the loss
UP NEXT
- Pitt returns to the court this Saturday, Nov. 18 as they head to crosstown rival Duquesne for the 41st Edition of the City Game at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. Tip is set for 2:00 pm on Saturday.
