Zellous hits 2,000 mark in Pitt win

Generally, in sports, numbers don’t lie. When it comes to Pitt women’s basketball standout… Generally, in sports, numbers don’t lie. When it comes to Pitt women’s basketball standout senior Shavonte Zellous, numbers prove historic. In the wake of Pitt’s 82-70 dismantling of the No. 19-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Zellous finds herself only the third player in Pitt women’s basketball history to score 2,000 career points. While the accomplishment understandably ought to raise eyebrows, Zellous demonstrated the poise of a seasoned pro in response to her historic achievement, dismissing the figure in an attempt to look ahead to the cliched ‘big picture.’ ‘It’s just another milestone,’ said Zellous. ‘I give all the credit to my teammates and coaching staff. It was great for the fans to see.’ Zellous’ 29-point performance paved the way to victory for the surging Panthers (17-4, 7-2 Big East), as they extend their winning streak to six games. Pitt opened the match on a perfect note, draining two consecutive 3-pointers off the palms of Zellous and Xenia Stewart, respectively, before going on an eventual 15-4 run. Pitt coach Agnus Berenato praised her team’s fast start. ‘Hugely important,’ she said. Notre Dame settled down, however, after Pitt’s early dominant play and built momentum on Pitt’s missed jump shots. Midway through the half, the Fighting Irish cut Pitt’s lead to three with an efficient transition game and timely shots, justifying their top-25 ranking. But whatever momentum Notre Dame built, Pitt put to a halt with a strong beyond-the-arc performance in the first half, going 4-of-6. The perimeter game allowed the Panthers to then work the ball into the paint, positioning them to earn easy buckets with free throws. Pitt finished the first half going 10-of-12 from the line. Zellous led the way for the Panthers in the first half, tallying 11 points to go along with three rebounds. Pitt’s solid play extended beyond scoring in the half, as fundamentals proved just as strong. The Panthers outrebounded Notre Dame on both offensive and defensive boards. Pitt walked into halftime leading 40-31. The break sparked the Fighting Irish, as they jumped all over Pitt in the game’s second half with a 15-7 run. Notre Dame’s second wind mirrored Pitt’s early effectiveness, but a resilient Panthers team bent, but didn’t break. Notre Dame (16-5, 5-4) saved face in the half’s early goings, but Pitt’s balanced attack proved too much for the visiting Fighting Irish. Both Stewart and Taneisha Harrison finished the game with 17 points, while Shayla Scott earned a career-high 18 rebounds. Freshman Shawnice ‘Pepper’ Wilson contributed with 12 rebounds of her own. Even though Berenato was impressed with the performance, it wasn’t anything she didn’t see coming. In fact, Berenato’s expectations for the game were simple. ‘We expected to win tonight,’ she said. Those expectations were met and sprinkled with a little piece of Zellous history.