Women’s basketball: Lady Panthers roll over Youngstown State, improve to 6-0

Katie Popovec and Selena Nwude each had a double-double, as No. 19 Pitt overpowered Youngstown… Katie Popovec and Selena Nwude each had a double-double, as No. 19 Pitt overpowered Youngstown State on its way to a 89-37 victory. It was the Panthers first road test of the season.

Popovec had 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Panthers, who improved to 6-0 on the season. Nwude finished the game with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Despite the blowout, scoring wasn’t easy for either team early in the game. The Panthers started the game shooting 4-of-17, while the Penguins converted on only one of their first 18 attempts. There was roughly a six-minute period during which both teams failed to score a point.

After a Youngstown State 3-pointer cut Pitt’s lead to 9-6, the Panthers scored the next 15 points and never let up.

The Panthers never trailed in the game and outmatched the Penguins (0-7), coming down with 56 rebounds compared to the Penguins’ 26.

But Popovec and Nwude weren’t the only Panthers to light up the scoreboard. Four other Panthers scored in the double-digits, including three players from the bench. Sophronia Sallard was the third starter to score 10 points.

Coming off the bench, Shawnice “Pepper” Wilson shot 6 for 6 from the field and scored 13 points — all in the second half. Jania Sims and Shayla Scott scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Freshmen Leeza Burdgess and Ashlee Anderson were the only two Panthers who did not see any game action.

Pitt returns to the Petersen Events Center on Saturday to host Western Michigan (3-3). Tipoff for the game is set for noon.