Women’s Basketball: Panthers hope to find motivation from disappointing season

For many teams, a senior recognition game is an important part of the basketball season when… For many teams, a senior recognition game is an important part of the basketball season when players and fans acknowledge the dedication and effort of their veteran members.

However, the Pitt women’s basketball team was deprived of this memorable experience this year, as they posted no senior members on the 2009-10 roster.

This young Panther team finished the season with a 16-15 record overall and a Big East record of 5-11, including first-round exits from both the Big East tournament and the Women’s National Invitational Tournament.

Head coach Agnus Berenato understands the value of senior leadership and its importance in building a successful basketball program.

“In the past few years, we have had those players that lead on and off the court,” Berenato said. “Last year we had Shavonte Zellous as a veteran player, but this year, with no seniors, it was tough to get that experience.”

Coming into this season, the Panthers had played in three straight NCAA Tournaments, including back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances.

This meant that at the beginning of the year, with no seniors on the team, the Panthers of this season only knew success. This year’s disappointment came as a shock, especially to junior forward Chelsea Cole.

“I would say that we really underachieved this season,” Cole said. “Last year we said that anything less than a Sweet 16 appearance would be a disappointment, and we didn’t even make the Tournament.”

Berenato echoed that sentiment, noting the hard work that must accompany such ambitions.

“This team has only experienced postseason play and Tournament appearances,” Berenato said. “They have to realize, though, that success like that doesn’t come without hard work and preparation.”

Throughout the season, the Panthers displayed bursts of that effort and commitment to winning, but it was not enough to make an impact when NCAA Tournament selection time approached.

Close games characterized the Panthers’ season, but while they were able to win those tight contests early on, they struggled to pull away with victories as the season came to a close.

“In the beginning, we won those close games,” Berenato said. “We were able to beat St. Francis (Pa.) by five and Austin Peay by one in overtime, and both of those teams made the NCAA Tournament.”

According to Berenato, January marked the start of the Panthers’ fall to the bottom of the Big East.

“We just couldn’t finish,” Berenato said. “Teams always go on streaks and runs, but this year, we seemed to hit a losing run at a bad time.”

Being a member of the Big East certainly did not help the Panthers in their search to generate winning momentum, especially at their lowest point, which saw the Panthers drop nine of ten games.

“The Big East is the best conference in the nation,” Berenato said. “The Big East had 11 teams in postseason play, and some conferences don’t even have that many teams to begin with.”

Nevertheless, Berenato does not regret Pitt’s placement in the tough conference.

“In the Big East, we get to see premier teams like Connecticut, Notre Dame and West Virginia on a regular basis,” Berenato said. “It allows us to attract competitive players to our program, players that want to play on a high level.”

However disappointing the season might appear as a whole, certain individuals excelled on the court and earned recognition.

Cole and teammate Jania Sims were both named to the Big East Honorable Mention Team, an accomplishment that Berenato acknowledged with pride.

“It was great to see Chelsea and Jania make the Honorable Mention Team,” Berenato said. “We did not have any players on any of the preseason teams, so that really shows improvement.”

Cole led the Big East in rebounding while Sims was the leading scorer for the Panthers.

The emergence of redshirt junior Brittaney Thomas toward the end of the season was another cause for optimism among the Panthers.

After a breakout game off the bench against Louisville on Feb. 14, Thomas earned a starting position and contributed five double-digit scoring performances in the final six games of the regular season.

“Brittaney played phenomenally well for us down the stretch,” Berenato said. “She really stepped up, and that can all be attributed to her work ethic and the time she put into practice.”

That dedication to excellence will hopefully drive the Panthers to achieve their expectations in the coming season as they hope to learn from the struggles of the past season.

“The bright spot is that we always try to keep in mind that this is all a growth process,” Cole said. “We have everyone returning next year, and we just keep telling each other that we do not want to let this happen again.”

The Pitt women’s basketball program has grown rapidly since Berenato’s arrival in 2003, and Berenato recognizes that such a quick ascent can pose challenges to her team.

“In the past few seasons, the success curve has just shot right up,” Berenato said. “This year we went down a bit, but it is important to realize that the players and the staff are refocused and ready to use this year’s experience as motivation for next season.”