The Pitt women’s basketball team used a 21-4 run during the first nine minutes of the second… The Pitt women’s basketball team used a 21-4 run during the first nine minutes of the second half to help seal a 61-35 victory over North Florida (0-2) in yesterday’s season opener.

The game started at 11 a.m., and with at least 4,000 children in attendance for Pitt’s School Days promotional event, the Panthers (1-0) jumped out to an early lead despite what head coach Agnus Berenato described as a lackluster first half.

“We started off really slow,” Berenato said. “I don’t know if they weren’t awake or if they forgot to shower or what. In the second half, we picked up the intensity, and we picked up the pace.”

Pitt took a 25-13 lead into the break.

Berenato said the Panthers improved on converting off turnovers and holding onto rebounds in the second half.

She said improvement in these areas helped the Panthers build a lead in the second half and that she was pleased with the difference in the team after the break.

“In the first half, we were extremely disappointed with the rebounding,” Berenato said. “I started tracking missed rebounds that were on our hands that we didn’t come up with. That was something we adjusted at halftime.”

Although she said she was happy with Pitt’s press and 18 first-half North Florida turnovers, she said the Panthers didn’t take advantage of the mistakes as well as they could have.

Berenato said some of Pitt’s early offensive troubles could be attributed to the new group of players learning to mesh as a team.

“In the past, we always had [Xenia] Stewart and [Shavonte] Zellous to take over,” Berenato said. “There is no more of them [because they both graduated]. We have been very hard on this team. We see great things. We see where we can go in the future.”

Junior Shayla Scott agreed, saying the Panthers focused on creating team chemistry over the summer during workouts, and it’s something the team continues to work on during practice.

“We go against each other and figure out what everyone’s good at,” Scott said. “I think it’s something that is going to come along very soon and something that can help us in the future.”

Pitt’s Chelsea Cole led all scorers with 14 points and added 7 rebounds.

Scott poured in eight of her 11 points during Pitt’s run to start the second half, including knocking down two consecutive 3-point shots.

Scott said Pitt’s defensive presence was an important factor in the game, because its defense often leads to offensive opportunities.

“When we are up on our press and get stops, it helps us on the offensive end,” Scott said. “We get excited, and it helps our offense to flow easier. When we get a stop, it makes us feel good.”

The Panthers held North Florida to 29.8 percent shooting for the game, including 28 percent from the 3-point line. Pitt shot 44.1 percent from the field, but only 17.6 percent from beyond the arc.

Taneisha Harrison contributed 11 points, while Kate Popovec led both teams with nine rebounds.

North Florida committed 27 turnovers, and Pitt took advantage with 26 points off the mistakes.

The Panthers also out-rebounded the Ospreys 44-27, including an 18-8 advantage on the offensive boards.

North Florida’s Jadhken Kerr led the Ospreys with nine points and five rebounds. Brittany Kirkland added seven points, while Arlande Cherizol contributed six points and a team-leading seven rebounds.

No Osprey player reached double figures.

The game marked the return of Pitt point guard Jania Sims, who suffered a season-ending injury in Pitt’s first game last year. She finished with two points and seven assists.

Berenato said the day felt like a double win for the Panthers, because of the success of the School Days event that she thought incorporated both athletics and academics.

“We are about academics, and we really tried to promote the game in this fashion,” Berentato said. “Our team has been fantastic. They talked about their favorite teachers, their favorite subjects and what we do to stay in shape.”

The game also featured Oakland Zoo newspapers geared toward middle school students. School buses took students to and from the game.

The Panthers next game is Friday against Florida at the Petersen Events Center. The game will feature Fan Appreciation Night, and tip-off is set for 7 p.m.