Pitt women need to avoid turnovers, unnecessary fouls

‘ ‘ ‘ Pitt pulled off another NCAA Tournament win Monday night, but no one is certain just how… ‘ ‘ ‘ Pitt pulled off another NCAA Tournament win Monday night, but no one is certain just how much longer it will enjoy the dance. ‘ ‘ ‘ Only one No. 12 seed has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, and Pitt almost allowed Gonzaga to be the second. The Zags played better than a 12 seed, but Pitt will have to step it up if it plans on winning in the next round. ‘ ‘ ‘ The scenario: For the second straight year, the Lady Panthers advance to the Sweet Sixteen. They lived up to their No. 4-seeding but haven’t yet surpassed last year’s success. At the same time, Pitt’s achievement in the Tournament has showed an addressing of season struggles and an overcoming of offensive losses. ‘ ‘ ‘ Losing last year’s support of Marcedes Walker and Malorie Winn, Shavonte Zellous has become Pitt’s No. 1 offensive threat. Throughout the season, the Panthers struggled to give Zellous the assistance needed when teams doubled up on their nationally ranked scorer. Nonetheless, the Tournament has given Pitt a new motivation to find the basket. Seven players touched the floor against Gonzaga, and all seven players contributed to the Panthers’ 65 points. This diversified offense will be essential in creating a challenging matchup for any team remaining in the Tournament. ‘ ‘ ‘ The problem: Pitt football coach Dave Wannstedt often says that the turnover ratio determines a game’s winner. If this really is the case, the Panthers are in trouble. Both Pitt and Gonzaga had crucial turnovers in the final minutes of the game, but only the Panthers were able to capitalize. ‘ ‘ ‘ Had the Bulldogs been able to convert steals into points, Pitt’s season very well could’ve ended in Seattle. All in all, I hope the Panthers learned the importance of ball protection for the full 40 minutes. ‘ ‘ ‘ Another aspect that may prove detrimental for the Panthers is unnecessary fouling. Whenever Gonzaga took the lead, the obviously ruffled Pitt team responded with an unwise foul. The Panthers had a total of 16 fouls, including one technical. Ten of those 16 came in the first 14 minutes of the second half. ‘ ‘ ‘ In a close game, when there is plenty of time on the clock, the last thing you want to do is send the other team to the line, particularly, a team that’s free-throw percentage was 100 percent throughout the game. ‘ ‘ ‘ It was Pitt’s experience that came through in the end. Although this is just Pitt’s third appearance in the NCAA Tournament, all but one of the Panthers (Shawnice ‘Pepper’ Wilson) have come this far before. In addition, seniors Xenia Stewart and Zellous led the Panthers in scoring throughout the struggle against Gonzaga. ‘ ‘ ‘ Under their guidance and Pitt coach Agnus Berenato’s leadership, the Panthers found determination in the heart of the storm. The hope for Pitt is that this drive continues at least one more round, and several aspects of Pitt’s game make that goal look promising. ‘ ‘ ‘ In addition to Zellous’ ability to overcome a scoring deficit and put up nine points with four minutes remaining in the game, the team as a whole showed fundamental discipline. When the layups wouldn’t fall, Pitt racked up points at the line. The Panthers went 20-of-22 in free-throw shooting, with the two misses coming from Zellous, who was 10-of-12. ‘ ‘ ‘ Throughout the game, Pitt knocked down foul shots and, as time ticked away, the Panthers’ free-throw shooting became more accurate. Experience, determination and fundamental discipline are key factors that give Pitt the ability to stay competitive. ‘ ‘ ‘