Pitt
6-7,0-0ACC
Le Moyne
2-10,0-0NEC
Suffocating Second Half Defense Leads Pitt to 56-39 Victory Over Le Moyne
12/28/2023 10:08:00 PM | Women's Basketball
PITTSBURGH – Behind a career night from freshman guard Aaryn Battle and some stifling second half defense, the Pitt women's basketball team (6-7, 0-0 ACC) closed out non-conference play with a 56-39 home victory over Le Moyne on Thursday night at the Petersen Events Center.
The 39 points against are the fewest against the Panthers since allowing 38 to New Orleans on November 9, 2018.
Battle capped her career night with a new career-high 17 points, 10 in the third quarter, to go along with a career-best six rebounds and three assists in 40 minutes of work. She went 6-for-9 from the floor while also earning a +17 plus/minus rating in the win.
Liatu King had another double figure scoring game, her 13th of the season, as she ended her game with 12 points and seven rebounds in 27 minutes of action. Aislin Malcolm finished her night with 12 points, three assists and two steals while knocking down a pair of triples in the win while Marley Washenitz finished her night with four points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, five blocks and three steals in 36 minutes or work. The five blocks are the most by a Pitt guard in over 15 years and most by a Panther since Rita Igbokwe had three games with five in 2022.
As a team, Pitt shot 41.5% from the floor while holding the Dolphins to just 23.1% shooting in the win including just 12.5% in the second half. The Panthers held Le Moyne to a season-best 12 points in the second half while also winning the rebounding battle 47-36.
Pitt opened the game with jumpers from Washenitz and King but the Dolphins were able to earn the 8-4 lead at the first media timeout. Out of the timeout, Pitt had back-to-back and one layups from Jala Jordan and King to cut their deficit to 13-10 through 10 minutes
The Panthers opened the second quarter with five straight as Aaryn Battle buried a triple and King nailed a jumper to give Pitt the 15-13 lead. The Dolphins cut the Pitt lead to one, 21-20, late in the quarter but the Panthers ended the quarter on a 9-5 run as Aislin Malcolm buried a triple and Jordan made a pair of layups. Pitt took the 30-25 lead into the locker room despite shooting just 38.7% from the floor in the half.
The third quarter was dominated by Battle as she outscored the Dolphins by herself in the quarter 10-6. Battle scored eight straight to cap the scoring in the quarter for the Panthers as they took the 41-33 lead into the fourth quarter. She ended the quarter with a new career-high 17 points in the game.
The Panthers put the game away in the final quarter with stifling defense as they held the Dolphins scoreless for the first five minutes as they opened the quarter on a 11-0 run which was capped by a Washenitz jumper. Lauren Rust closed out the scoring for the Panthers with her first collegiate field goal in the final minutes as Pitt secured the 56-39 victory.
Game Notes
- With the win, Pitt is now 1-0 all-time against Le Moyne and 5-1 all-time against NEC teams.
- Battle finished with a career-high 17 points and six rebounds in the win.
- King finished with 12 points in the win as she has scored in double figures in all 13 games this season.
- Malcolm scored in double figures, 12 points, for the eighth time this season
- Washenitz tied a career-high with 10 rebounds to go along with seven assists, a career-high five blocks and three steals. Her five blocks are the most by a Pitt guard in over 15 years and the most by a Pitt player overall since Rita Igbokwe in 2022.
Up Next
- Pitt hits the road Sunday, Dec. 31 as they travel to Blacksburg, VA to open ACC play against No. 14 Virginia Tech. Sunday's ACC opener tips at 2:00 pm at Cassell Coliseum and air on ACC network Extra.
