Pitt Returns Home To Host Duke Thursday Night

Thursday, February 1

Pittsburgh, PA

7 PM

Pitt

Duke

Tickets

Pitt Returns Home To Host Duke Thursday Night

1/31/2024 1:57:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Women's Basketball

vs Pitt-Johnstown

Oct 26, 2025 at TBA

Days

Hours

Mins

Secs

GAME 22

Pitt vs. Duke

Feb. 1, 2024 / 7:00 PM / Pittsburgh, PA (Petersen Events Center) / ACC Network Extra

GAME NOTES

SCHEDULE

PITTSBURGH – The Pitt women’s basketball team (7-14, 1-7 ACC) returns to the Petersen Events Center Thursday night as the Duke Blue Devils (13-7, 5-4 ACC) come to town for a conference battle. Thursday’s game will tip at 7:00 pm and air on ACC Network Extra.

HOW FOLLOW

Thursday’s game will air on ACC Network Extra or it can be streamed by clicking HERE.
Live stats for Thursday’s game can be found by clicking HERE.
You can also listen to the game on pittsburghpanthers.com as the voice of Pitt women's basketball, Josh Rowntree, will have the call from the Pete starting at 6:45 pm. To listen, click HERE.
Live updates throughout the game will also be posted on Twitter by following the Pitt women's basketball account @Pitt_WBB.

THE OPENING TIP

The Panthers return home Thursday night as they welcome the Duke Blue Devils to the Petersen Events Center for a 7pm tip. Thursday’s game will air on ACC Network Extra.
Senior Liatu King has been the best player on the floor for Pitt all year long. Last time out at #18 Louisville, she recorded her 12th double-double of the season with 16 points, 14 rebounds, two steals, two assists and two blocks in 37 minutes of work. She is the only player in the NCAA this season to average at least 19.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks per game.
King ranks inside the top-5 in the ACC in multiple categories including fifth in scoring (19.3 ppg), second in rebounding (10.2 rpg), third in blocks (1.8 bpg), third in field goal percentage (55.2%), second in minutes played (35.6 mpg) and second in double-doubles (12).
Forward Jala Jordan notched her first double-double as a Panther at #18 Louisville Sunday as she netted a team-high 17 points and 11 rebounds. Over her last five games, Jordan is averaging 29.1 minutes, 15.8 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 53.7% from the floor and a perfect 15-for-15 from the free throw line.
The Panthers have two great offensive rebounders on their team as Liatu King leads the ACC averaging 3.5 offensive rebounds per game and Rapuluchi Ayodele ranks fifth, averaging 3.2 per game. The duo is one of two in the NCAA (Angel Reese, Aneesah Morrow, LSU) to each have at least 68 offensive rebounds on the season.

JALA JORDAN ON A TEAR

Graduate transfer forward Jala Jordan has been featured more of late and she’s taking advantage of her chances on the offensive end.
So far this season, she is averaging 18.6 minutes, 8.4 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 44.0% from the floor and connecting on 76.5% of her free throws.
Last time out at #18 Louisville, Jordan posted her first double-double as a Panther as she led the team with 17 points and 11 rebounds while going 6-for-11 from the floor. It marked her fifth straight game in double figures.
Over her last five games, Jordan has been one of the most efficient players in the conference. She is averaging 15.8 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 53.7% from the floor and a perfect 15-for-15 at the free throw line.
Last week in the win at Virginia, Jordan led all scorers with 18 points and nine rebounds while going 8-for-17 from the floor. It marked her fourth straight game in double figures for the Panthers.
Against Boston College, Jordan paced the Panthers with 18 points, nine rebounds, one steal and one block in a season-high 30 minutes of work. She finished the game going 5-for-9 from the floor while connecting on a career-best 8-for-8 from the line.
She has now scored in double figures nine times this season and 24 times in her career.
Jordan has a career-high five games with 15+ points so far this season.
Earlier this year in the win over Lehigh, Jordan netted a career-high 23 points while adding five rebounds. She was an efficient 10-for-15 from the floor in the win.
When Jordan plays 20+ minutes for the Panthers she produces. In the nine games she has played 20+ minutes she is averaging 15.0 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 53.0% from the floor. Pitt is 4-5 in those games and just 3-9 in games she doesn’t play at least 20 minutes.
Dating back to the Notre Dame game on Jan. 4, Jordan has now connected on 16 straight free throw attempts for the Panthers.
The 16 straight made free throws are the most by a Pitt player since Dayshanette Harris connected on 18 straight from Feb. 4, 2021 to Feb. 16, 2021 (five-game span). It also marks the most consecutive free throws made by a post player since Brenna Wise in 2016-17 (23 straight).

Jala Jordan is averaging 15.8 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 53.7% from the floor across her last five games

MORE NOTES

SERIES HISTORY – DUKE

This meeting marks the 16th of all-time between the two programs with the Blue Devils winning each of the previous 15 in the series.
The Blue Devils won the meeting last season in Durham 53-44 . Gabby Hutcherson finished the loss with seven points, four rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
Pitt is 0-4 against Duke all-time in Pittsburgh.
The last time the two teams met in Pittsburgh was Feb. 3, 2022 as Duke earned the 54-39 road win.

SCOUTING THE BLUE DEVILS

Duke enters Thursday’s game with a 13-7 overall record and a 5-4 ACC mark after falling on the road to Miami on Sunday, 64-58.
The Blue Devils are being led offensively by Reigan Richardson who is averaging 11.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game on the season. Freshman Oluchi Okananwa comes off the bench and averages 11.0 points, a team-high 6.7 rebounds and leads the team with 33 steals while shooting 49.7% from the floor and 38.9% from deep.
Taina Mair has started all 20 games at point guard and is averaging 10.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and a team-high 3.6 assists while shooting 41.6% from the floor and 33.8% from behind the arc. Jadyn Donovan is doing a little of everything as she is averaging 6.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 blocks while shooting a team-high 51.7% from the floor.
As a team, Duke has the best defense in the ACC as they’re allowing just 59.2 points per game against while holding to opponents to just 36.3% shooting. They grab an average of 38.6 rebounds per game while forcing 18.2 turnovers per contest from their opponents.

LAST TIME OUT – AT #18 LOUISVILLE

Despite trailing by just six in the third quarter, the Panthers couldn’t finish off the comeback Sunday afternoon as they fell 77-58 to #18 Louisville.
Jala Jordan once again led the Panthers with her first double-double of the season as she netted 17 points and 11 rebounds on 6-for-11 shooting. Liatu King notched her third straight double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds in the loss.
The difference in the game Sunday was turnovers as the Cardinals scored 22 points off 18 Pitt turnovers. The Panthers only scored 10 points off 12 Louisville mishaps.

LIATU KING BY THE NUMBERS

Senior Liatu King is doing things on the court that Pitt fans haven’t seen in a very long time, especially of late.
So far this season, King has scored a career-high 406 points which ranks fifth in the ACC and 19th overall in the NCAA. Her 164 made field goals ranks third in the ACC and 10th in the NCAA.
The 406 points through the first 21 games are the most by a Pitt player since Shavonte Zellous (504) in 2008-09 when she earned All-America honors.
Her 208 points through the first 10 games of the season were the most by a Pitt player since Lorri Johnson (all-time leading scorer) in 1990-91 (238). Johnson earned All-America honors for her play during that season for Pitt.
King opened her season on fire as she has secured seven double-doubles in the first 10 games of the season. She became the first Panther in over 40 years to do that.
On the year, she has racked up 12 double-doubles which ranks second in the ACC and 10th in the NCAA.
The 12 double-doubles are the most in a season by a Pitt player since Chelsea Cole (16) in 2010-11. Her 12 double-doubles through the first 21 games of the season are the most by a Pitt player in program history.
She has totaled 25 or more points in six games so far this season which are the most by a Pitt player since Brianna Kiesel in 2014-15 (seven).
King posted five straight games scoring 22+ points from Nov. 21-Dec. 3 to become the first Panther since Shavonte Zellous in 2009 to record five straight games with at least 22 points.
King is the first player in program history to post five straight games with at least 22 points while shooting at least 50% from the floor in all five games.
She has scored at least 30 points in two games this season, marking the most in a season by a Pitt player since Brianna Kiesel in 2014-15. She is also one of just two players in the nation this season with at least two games of 30+ points while shooting at least 70% from the floor (Ayoleka Lee - Kansas State).
King is one of two players in the country (Cameron Brink - Stanford) to have at least two games with 20+ points, 8+ rebounds, 4+ blocks and 2+ assists. She is also the only player in the nation to post three games with at least 22 points, 11 total rebounds and five offensive rebounds so far this season.
Her eight 20+ point games through the first 16 games of a season were the most by a Pitt player since Shavonte Zellous (13) in 2008-09.
King scored at least 10 points in the first 16 games of the season which marked the most consecutive games in double figures to start a season since Brianna Kiesel in 2013-14 (21). Overall, she has scored 10+ points in 20 of 21 games and 15+ points in a career-high 16 games.
Her 215 rebounds through the first 21 games of the season are the most by a Pitt player since Pam Miklasevich in 1979-80 (245).
She is the first Pitt player in program history to average at least 19.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game this late in the season (21 games).

LET’S GET OFFENSIVE (BOARDS)

The Panthers have been strong on the offensive glass this season especially early on in the season.
Pitt ranks seventh in the ACC averaging 12.6 offensive rebounds per game so far this season.
Two of the best offensive rebounders in the conference are Pitt players as Liatu King leads the ACC averaging 3.5 offensive boards per game and Rapuluchi Ayodele ranks fifth in the conference averaging 3.2 offensive rebounds per game.
King (74) and Ayodele (68) are one of two teammate combos in the nation (LSU - Angel Reese, Aneesah Morrow) to each secure at least 68 offensive rebounds on the season.
Pitt is the only team in the ACC to have two players inside the top-10 in offensive rebounds per game so far this season.
Overall, Pitt is one of three teams (Clemson, Syracuse) in the ACC this season to have two players with at least 139 total rebounds (King - 215, Ayodele - 139).

NEXT UP

Pitt returns to the road this Sunday, Feb. 4 as they travel to #14 Notre Dame to battle the Irish for the second time this season. Sunday’s game tips at 2:00 pm and will air on ACC Network Extra.
Pitt and Notre Dame met earlier this year in Pittsburgh, a game the Irish won 71-66 despite 34 points and 13 rebounds by King.