Panthers outlast Gonzaga in thriller

‘ ‘ Shavonte Zellous found some help from her teammates in the second round of women’s NCAA… ‘ ‘ Shavonte Zellous found some help from her teammates in the second round of women’s NCAA Tournament play Monday night as the Pitt women’s basketball team beat Gonzaga 65-60 en route to its second straight Sweet 16. In one of the closest games the Panthers played all year, Zellous scored 24 points to lead the Panthers after scoring only two in the first half. Fellow senior Xenia Stewart contributed 12 points and three assists, along with 10 points and seven rebounds from freshman Shawnice ‘Pepper’ Wilson. Early turnovers, foul trouble for Zellous and a struggling Pitt offense led to an early 9-0 run from Gonzaga, which has never been to the Sweet 16. Zellous had two early fouls and was taken out of the game five minutes in. Pitt ended the Bulldogs’ run with back-to-back 3-pointers from Stewart and Shayla Scott, bringing Pitt back within one, 9-8. It regained a 10-9 lead with a layup from Chelsea Cole. The game remained close for most of the half with Pitt retaining the lead throughout. Zellous, who was obviously frustrated, struggled offensively when she came back on the court, shooting just 1 for 6 with two points and four rebounds in the first half. With four minutes to go in the first half, Pitt raised its lead to seven, the largest of the game, after shots from Wilson and Sophronia Sallard, bringing the score to 24-17. Pitt’s defense, namely two important blocks by Cole, limited Gonzaga’s scoring to nothing for seven minutes. But the Bulldogs made a run in the half’s waning minutes. With five seconds to go in the half, a Sallard turnover led to a Gonzaga layup, leaving the score tied 24-24 at halftime. Zellous tied the game back up at 31 with two free throws. After scoring only two in the first half, Zellous, Pitt’s all-time single-season leading scorer, scored five in the opening minutes of the second half. Despite a better scoring performance, the game got physical and more Panthers found themselves in foul trouble, as Scott got early personal and technical fouls after blocking a shot from Janelle Bekkering. Sallard and Zellous each committed fouls soon after. Scott ended the game with seven points and eight rebounds. With Gonzaga up 47-44, Pitt went on a 7-0 run, giving Pitt a four-point lead, the biggest of the half. The Bulldogs answered quickly and gained a 52-51 lead. With less than one minute left in the game, it looked like the win could go either way when Bekkering, expecting to make contact with Zellous while going for a shot, traveled and turned the ball over to Pitt. Gonzaga’s Courtney Vandersloot missed a 3-pointer and Zellous and Stewart each went 2-of-2 at the free-throw line in the final seconds for the victory. The Panthers resume action on Sunday against the winner of Tuesday’s game between Oklahoma and Georgia Tech.