Seeded in Seattle: Pitt gets No. 4 seed

The Pitt women’s basketball team has done it once again, proving this year, as it has in the… The Pitt women’s basketball team has done it once again, proving this year, as it has in the past several years, that it is better than the last. During the unveiling of the women’s NCAA Tournament bracket Monday night, Pitt received a No. 4 seed, its highest ever in the Tournament, in the Oklahoma City region. The Panthers will play their first game on Saturday in Seattle against No. 13-seed Montana at 8 p.m. Pitt’s highest prior seed was a No. 6 last season. Seeded first in the region are the Oklahoma Sooners and senior Courtney Paris, who, earlier this week, promised to pay back all of her scholarship money if her team doesn’t win the national title. If Pitt gets to play the Sooners, it’ll be on Oklahoma’s home court. Pitt coach Agnus Berenato feels that she and her team are up to the challenge. ‘You have to go through No. 1 to be at No. 1,’ said Berenato. ‘And that’s our goal. My players are going to have to be prepared because we’re going for the long haul.’ ‘I hope we go far enough to play [Oklahoma] so I can play against people like Courtney and Ashley Paris and see where I match up in my first year,’ said freshman center Shawnice ‘Pepper’ Wilson. The feel for the team at the Petersen Events Center Monday night was much different than several years ago. This time, Pitt was certain it would receive a bid, whereas two years ago several of the players who are still on the team now waited at the edge of their seats. ‘How fun is this, guys?’ said Berenato, before official Selection Monday coverage began. ‘That we’re standing here just waiting for our name to be called? We will represent the University of Pittsburgh to the best of our ability.’ This is only the team’s third trip to the NCAA Tournament, but for some it’s a first-time occurrence. Wilson, who was recently named to the Big East All-Freshman team and started in nearly every game in her rookie season, is looking forward to the experience. ‘I think we have a tough bracket, but I don’t think there’s any team that we can’t beat,’ said Wilson, who averages 6.4 rebounds per game. ‘I feel like we really are a better team this year than last year and I thought last year they got a good seed. So I’m really happy to be in this position. I just can’t wait to see how we do in the Tournament.’ The only other Big East team in the Oklahoma City bracket is Rutgers, seeded seventh. It faces No. 10 Virginia Commonwealth. Pitt is also familiar with two No. 1 seeds in the Tournament: Connecticut and Maryland. Though the Panthers had a rough time with the undefeated and top-ranked Huskies, losing to them 95-42 earlier this season, they beat the Terrapins by 29 before conference play began, giving the team a huge boost of confidence going into this tournament. And if it comes to a rematch against Big East foe Connecticut, Pitt isn’t losing hope. ‘I think everything would have to be aligned ‘mdash; the stars, the moon …’ said Berenato. ‘They’re just on another level.’ For now, however, the focus is on Big Sky champion Montana, which went 28-4 this season. ‘You can’t get caught looking ahead in this tournament or before you know it you’ll be eliminated,’ said senior Shavonte Zellous. ‘There are more good teams up ahead, but we can worry about that when it’s time to play them.’