Pitt seeks to end losing streak

The Pitt women’s basketball team looks to rekindle its offense and end a two-game losing streak… The Pitt women’s basketball team looks to rekindle its offense and end a two-game losing streak in a home matchup with South Florida Saturday afternoon at the Petersen Events Center. Pitt (11-4, 1-2 Big East) dropped two consecutive games at Providence and home against DePaul. Pitt coach Agnus Berenato said the Panthers experienced their worst shooting night at Providence and that the game didn’t help the team’s confidence. Pitt entered the Providence game as one the nation’s leading 3-point shooting squads, but went 0 for 11 from beyond the arc. ‘We just haven’t been shooting the ball well,’ said Berenato. ‘We needed to get back in the gym. We’re fine.’ The Panthers need their offense against South Florida (14-4, 1-3 Big East). Entering their game against St. John’s, the Bulls had the third-best scoring offense in the country. They average 84.8 points a game. The Panthers hold opponents to an average of 57.1 points, while putting up 80.3 points per game. Against DePaul, the Panthers lacked offensive diversity. Senior guard Shavonte Zellous was the only Panther to reach double figures with 26 points. For the season, Zellous averages 23.6 points per contest. ‘Shavonte has been playing like an All-American,’ said Berenato. ‘She’s the leading scorer in the Big East. She’s phenomenal.’ South Florida split its last two games. The Bulls defeated St. John’s 81-71 in overtime on Saturday, before falling to No. 7 Louisville 76-60 Wednesday night. Guard Shantia Grace scored 15 points against Louisville, and senior Jessica Lawson produced a double-double with 14 points and 16 rebounds. An All-Big East selection the past two seasons, Grace leads the Bulls in scoring with 15.8 points per game. Jazmine Sepulveda and Janae Stokes also average in double figures. Lawson adds averages of 8.9 points and 5.7 rebounds. The Panthers can expect an up-tempo game from South Florida. Berenato said the Bulls love to run and commented on their great transition game. She expects to see plenty of man-to-man defense. Last season, the Bulls edged the Panthers 65-64 in Tampa. Both Zellous and fellow Panther Xenia Stewart scored 13 points in the loss. However, Zellous spent most of the first half on the bench with foul trouble. Grace led South Florida to victory with 17 points and six assists. Pitt junior point guard Jania Sims plans to apply for a medical redshirt after sustaining an injury in the first game of the season. Freshman reserve center Kate Popovec will also miss the game with an ankle injury. Despite the absences, Berenato said Pitt is ready to get back on the floor and halt its losing streak. ‘We’ve had some great, intense practices,’ said Berenato. ‘South Florida is a great team, and we’re excited to play them.’