Pitt women’s basketball (5-4, 0-0 ACC) traveled to the U.S. Virgin Islands to face Kansas, Auburn and Northern Iowa in the Paradise Jam over Thanksgiving break. The Panthers made their first appearance in the tournament since 2021, going 0-3 overall. 

Pitt women’s basketball took on the Jayhawks (7-1, 0-0 Big 12) in their tournament opener on Thanksgiving Day. The Panthers and Jayhawks traded baskets to begin the first quarter, ending with the Jayhawks up 20-12. Both teams went into a scoring drought for over three minutes in the second quarter, broken by a 5-0 run by the Jayhawks, putting them up 25-14 over the Panthers. 

After a halftime score that left the Panthers trailing by nine, Pitt had an explosive start to the third quarter, forcing a Kansas timeout. The Panthers brought it within four with quick points from sophomore guard Mikayla Johnson and graduate student center Khadija Faye and outscored the Jayhawks 14-7 in the third quarter, bringing the game within two by the end of time. 

Despite Pitt’s best defensive efforts in the fourth quarter, the Jayhawks went on an 8-0 run, leaving the Panthers unable to close the gap. Pitt narrowly fell to Kansas 59-53, leaving them 0-1 to start the tournament.

The Panthers had a tight turnaround, facing the Tigers (5-3, 0-0 SEC) just 24 hours later. Pitt opened the first quarter strong with baskets from sophomore guard Aaryn Battle and senior forward MaKayla Elmore, but Auburn responded with a 13-3 run, leaving the Panthers down 17-8 to end the quarter. 

The Tigers had an explosive start to the second quarter, putting them up 16 over the Panthers. Despite help from junior guard Aislin Malcolm and senior guard Bella Perkins to bring the Panthers back within 10, the Tigers took a 51-24 lead at the half. 

Auburn did not let up in the third quarter, going on a 14-6 run that resulted in a Panthers’ timeout. Pitt could not recover from the increasing deficit and trailed 60-32 after the third. The fourth quarter proved much of the same, and despite a standout performance from first-year guard Audrey Biggs, who recorded a team-high eight points, the Panthers ultimately fell to the Tigers 82-50. 

Hoping to secure at least one tournament win, Pitt faced Northern Iowa (4-3, 0-0 MVC) in its last game. Pitt started off strong with early baskets from Biggs and junior guard Raeven Boswell, who both recorded their first career starts. Northern Iowa responded quickly, bringing the game within five at the end of the first quarter. 

Big performances from junior guard Kayba Laube and first-year forward Elise Jaeger ignited Northern Iowa’s offense in the second quarter. Despite Pitt shooting 78% from behind the arc in the first half, Northern Iowa outscored the Panthers 25-10 in the second quarter and led 54-41 going into the half. 

Thanks to Perkins, Pitt remained steady to open​​ the third quarter, working to chip away at Northern Iowa’s lead. But after five minutes of play, Northern Iowa began to pull away, going on a 10-2 run and increasing their lead over the Panthers to 21 to end the third quarter. 

Pitt stayed determined in the fourth quarter, going on a 7-0 run to bring them back within 10 with just under four minutes left in the contest. Northern Iowa did not let up, putting up a quick nine points to seal the Panthers’ fate. Despite a career-high 26 points from Perkins and a season-best 65% from the three, Pitt could not close the gap and fell to Northern Iowa 90-74, ending their time at the Paradise Jam. 

The Panthers return home to face city rival Duquesne on Wednesday, Dec. 4. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.