University of Pittsburgh Athletics
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Clutch Shooting Lifts Pitt To Season Opening Win Over Yale, 79-74
11/7/2023 10:34:00 PM | Women's Basketball
PITTSBURGH— Behind some clutch three-pointers down the stretch, the Pitt women's basketball team collected the season opening 79-74 victory over the Yale Bulldogs in front of 1,199 fans at the Petersen Events Center Tuesday night. The win marked head coach Tory Verdi's first as a Panther as Pitt earned their fifth straight home opening victory.
The Panthers offensive attack was led by transfer Bella Perkins who netted a career-high 21 points while making a trio of triples. Senior Liatu King notched her 10th career double-double as she netted 16 points, 14 rebounds, three steals and three blocks across 30 minutes of work. In her Pitt debut off the bench, graduate transfer Jala Jordan netted 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals in 26 minutes.
Sophomore Marley Washenitz tied a career-high with 11 points, seven assists and drawing three charges while Rapuluchi Ayodele had a strong night with nine points and 11 rebounds (seven offensive) in the win.
The Panthers owned the 40-24 edge in paint scoring and the 18-9 edge in scoring off turnovers in the win. Pitt grabbed 41 rebounds including 17 offensive while the Bulldogs had 40 boards in the loss. The Panthers capped the win with 16 assists and 10 steals while shooting 43.3% from the floor.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Pitt Panthers jumped out to an early 9-2 lead to open the game sparked by Perkins, who scored five of the early nine for Pitt. Yale responded by going on a seven point run to even the contest at the halfway point in the first quarter. The Bulldogs, propelled by shooting 59% from the field, finished the quarter on an 11-5 run to take a 23-18 lead at the end of the first.
The Panthers opened the second quarter on a tear, outscoring Yale 8-2. A pair of Aislin Malcolm layups, one of which off a fast break assist from Washenitz, helped Pitt retake the lead 26-25 with 6:57 left to go in the quarter. The Panthers continued to dominate the second quarter going on a 16-9 run following two Washenitz drawn charges, to give the Panthers the 42-34 lead going into halftime. King (11) led Pitt in scoring in the first half while Perkins (9) Washenitz (7) each helped Pitt earn the eight-point advantage at half.
In the first minute of the 3rd quarter, King grabbed her 10th rebound as she secured her first double-double of the season. The Panthers outscored Yale 11-4 in the first five minutes of the second half, spurred by 45% shooting from the field in that timeframe. The Bulldogs responded by scoring seven straight to cut the Pitt lead to 10 late in the quarter. A Jordan steal and jump shot helped to hinder a strong third quarter for Yale as the Panthers took the 58-52 lead into the final frame.
The Panthers remained in control to begin the 4th quarter, led by Jordan who had a layup and two assists within the first three minutes. Yale cut the Pitt lead to two, 76-74, with 1:14 left in the game following an offensive rebound and three point shot. However, Perkins didn't flinch as she responded with a three pointer from the logo to give Pitt the 79-74 lead. On the following defensive possession, Washenitz drew her third charge of the game to seal the win for the Panthers.
GAME NOTES
- The win marked Pitt's fourth straight season opening win and fifth straight home opening win
- Pitt is now 1-0 all-time against Yale and 5-2 overall against IVY League opponents in program history
- The win marked Tory Verdi's first as the Panthers head coach
- Perkins capped her strong night with a career-high 21 points to lead all scorers
- King finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds for her first double-double of the 2023-2024 season and 10th of her career
- Pitt had four players score in double figures in the win
UP NEXT
The Pitt Panthers continue their 2023-2024 campaign on Saturday, November 11 when they play host to rival West Virginia in the 47th edition of the Backyard Brawl. Tip at the Petersen Events Center is set for 2:00 pm and the game will air on ACC Network Extra.
