Women’s basketball: Sims reaches 1,000 career points in win

After falling in four consecutive contests, most recently a 4-point overtime loss to Marquette,… After falling in four consecutive contests, most recently a 4-point overtime loss to Marquette, the Pitt women’s basketball team was desperately seeking a conference win.

They found it Tuesday night against Cincinnati with an impressive 79-48 rout of the Bearcats at the Petersen Events Center.

The offensive play of Panther senior guard Jania Sims was equally impressive. Sims contributed 24 points and, in doing so, reached the 1,000-point milestone in her Pitt career.

Sims was the second Panther to accomplish the feat this season — Taneisha Harrison earned her 1,000th point on Dec. 11 against Valparaiso. Sims is the 17th Pitt player to join the 1000-point club in Pitt women’s basketball history.

Pitt head coach Agnus Berenato acknowledged Sims’ accomplishment for the Panthers (10-11, 2-6) after the game.

“I am very proud of Jania,” Berenato said. “It is great when good people get rewards, and this is a great reward.”

Sims was not aware of how many points she needed for the milestone throughout the game, but she was nonetheless pleased with the outcome.

“This accomplishment feels so good,” Sims said after the game. “I have been in an offensive slump, so it feels even better.”

Historically, Pitt has thrived when Cincinnati (8-13, 1-8) comes to town, and Tuesday’s victory extended the Panthers’ winning streak over the Bearcats to eight games.

The Panthers’ dominance was evident early in the game. After jumping out to an early 7-0 advantage, the Panthers were able to build their lead to 37-19 before halftime.

The Panthers showed no intention of letting the Bearcats back into the game during the second half. A full-court press coupled with rebounding success allowed the Panthers to limit the Bearcats’ scoring opportunities.

Pitt finished the game with 22 points off turnovers and 39 rebounds, whereas Cincinnati earned nine points from nine Pitt turnovers and secured 32 rebounds.

The Panthers’ nine turnovers marks their fewest this season.

Senior forward Chelsea Cole dominated the glass with 14 rebounds. Cole currently ranks first in the Big East in rebounds, averaging more than nine per game. She also holds the top spot in the conference for double-doubles, earning her 11th against the Bearcats with 19 points.

Sims and Cole were joined by fellow senior Shayla Scott in double-digit scoring totals. Scott turned in 15 points, including a perfect 3-for-3 from three-point range. Scott leads the team with 33 three-pointers on the season.

Berenato noted that that the play of Scott and Cole was instrumental in securing the victory for the Panthers.

“Shayla and Chelsea worked the high-low game as well as they have all year,” Berenato said. “Chelsea was shooting well and that was made possible by Shayla’s efforts.”

Dressing only seven players due to team injuries, Cincinnati has struggled all season, dropping seven games in a row.

Senior Shareese Ulis has led the Bearcats throughout the season with 15 points per game, but the Panthers held her to just seven points in Tuesday’s contest with their defensive efforts.

Cincinnati guard Bjonee Reaves picked up some of that scoring slack and was the leading Bearcats scorer with 22 points. Reaves played the entire 40-minute game for the Bearcats.

In contrast to the Bearcats limited line-up, all 11 players played for the Panthers. The bench accounted for 14 of the final 79 points.

Pitt also took advantage of free-throw opportunities, converting 19 of its 21 attempts for a 90.5 percent figure. Cincinnati earned 21 trips to the line, but managed only 13 points.

For Berenato, the win was one which showed the resiliency of her team and its ability to rebound after the tough loss to Marquette.

“As a coach, you are not sure how your team will respond after a heartbreaking loss,” Berenato said. “We have made improvements that have not shown in the win-loss column, but this game did and I am proud of the team.”

Hoping to earn their third conference victory, the Panthers will travel to West Virginia to face their Big East rivals, the No. 14 Mountaineers, on Saturday.