Pitt beat injuries to advance to Sweet 16

Days after Pitt’s Sweet 16 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners, a bitter taste remains in the mouths… Days after Pitt’s Sweet 16 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners, a bitter taste remains in the mouths of the Pitt women’s basketball team.

But the season also had many high points.

‘Remarkable,’ said senior guard Xenia Stewart of the season. ‘The way we’ve been able to overcome adversity, it said a lot about our team.’

Pitt faced adversity from the season’s earliest moments, when junior guard Jania Sims went down with a season-ending injury during the first game. Freshman center Kate Popovec also fell victim to injury.

While naysayers may have questioned the team’s ability to persevere through those injuries, especially at the point guard position, there was no such thinking among the players on the court.

‘We had no letdowns,’ said Stewart. ‘We basically played point guard by committee and took it one game at a time.’

The approach proved successful, as the team advanced to a second consecutive Sweet 16 run in the NCAA Tournament.

Along the way, the team captured its best-ever record, All-American honors and built upon a reputation of success. What stood out for head coach Agnus Berenato was character.

‘It was a terrific season and we overachieved,’ she said. ‘No one expected much from us with all the injuries, but we came together and accomplished a lot. It’s a true testament to our team’s character.’

Stewart agreed with Berenato and pointed to two defining games of the season, a loss to Louisville in the Big East tournament and a victory over Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament.

‘The fight we had against Louisville was unlike any other time all season,’ said Stewart. ‘Many people may not have seen it, but we played to win, we wanted it bad and we really competed. It sent a message that you can’t take us lightly.’

Then Gonzaga tried and failed.

‘We made big plays and played our hardest ever,’ she said of the game against Gonzaga. ‘The energy was something else. If we play next season like we played in those two games, we’ll be a force to be reckoned with.’

Incidentally, Stewart’s prediction coincided with Berenato’s goals for the future.

‘My goal isn’t to build a great team. My goal is to build a great program,’ said Berenato.

As long and tough as the season was, Pitt found a way to balance work with fun along the way.

‘There’s not much of a social life [as a student-athlete],’ said Stewart. ‘But when we’re not on the court, we’re a close team and like to have fun.’