Women’s Basketball: Pitt to host School Day event

Today’s game against Loyola (Md.) will be a learning experience for the young women’s… Today’s game against Loyola (Md.) will be a learning experience for the young women’s basketball team, as well as the young students who come to watch.

The game marks the third annual School Day, a Pitt-sponsored event that draws about 3,700 elementary and middle school students from the Pittsburgh area to the Petersen Events Center.

A news release on Pitt’s website said that the School Day event aims to teach students “the importance of school and good sportsmanship.” Teachers are encouraged to integrate basketball and sports into their lessons. Pitt head coach Agnus Berenato said the event could help students learn everything from basketball rules to why the ball takes a certain trajectory on a shot.

With the students in attendance, Berenato will continue to work on developing the youngest Division I basketball team in the country. While the team presents a challenge, Berenato said that there are benefits to the team’s youth as well.

“The one thing with youth is that we have enthusiasm, emotion, and we have passion,” Berenato said in a post-game press conference after Pitt defeated Saint Francis 70-58 on Tuesday. “We always play with tremendous heart and passion every day, and I think that is what this team has to become known for. We have to be known for our defense and our hard work and our passion.”

The 11 a.m. game is the 800th college game Berenato will coach.

Afterward, Pitt will remain at home to face Central Michigan at noon on Sunday.

In the post-game press conference, redshirt sophomore guard Ashlee Anderson described the youthful enthusiasm of the team as “a lot of fun.”

“When you turn the ball over, there is a lot of emphasis on learning how to do the next thing correctly,” Anderson said. “If it was an older team, we might get pulled or something like that. Now they help us learn through our mistakes, and that is going to help us in our later games, and we will be able to learn from each other.”

Freshman guard Brianna Kiesel agreed.

“It’s fun because when one of us makes a mistake, we all make the same mistakes,” she said in the post-game press conference. “We grow as a team.”

Anderson is coming off a career-best 29-point game against Saint Francis, while Kiesel almost put up a triple-double with 17 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

Loyola (1-1) lost its meeting against Pitt last year 73-45, but the Greyhounds have the more experienced squad this season.

Guard Miriam McKenzie — one of four seniors on the team — recently exceeded 1,000 career points and has 27 points through the first two games of the season.

Central Michigan (0-1) is off to a shaky start and is looking for its first win of the season this weekend.

Two-time All-MAC selection Brandie Baker was held scoreless for the first time in her 63-game college career. The Pitt defense will look to keep the pressure on Central Michigan’s star junior.

“You know everyone always feeds off the confidence they have in their own gym,” Central Michigan Coach Sue Guevara said in a weekly interview. “We are going to have to attack.”