Oakland Zoo should fill up for women, too

Pitt plays a top-10 team at home this weekend, and I bet you had no idea. You probably are… Pitt plays a top-10 team at home this weekend, and I bet you had no idea. You probably are aware that the football team plays its final game of the season at Connecticut on Saturday, in a vital matchup that will determine whether Dave Wannstedt’s team reaches the Sun Bowl. And no, you didn’t slip into an alternate universe where Vermont’s men’s basketball team lies near the top of any rankings, except perhaps which team Sean Avery has the best chance to suit up for next. Who is the mystery team? None other than the Berenato bunch. The women’s basketball program headed by Agnus Berenato has reached unprecedented success in its last few seasons, winning its first NCAA Tournament game two years ago and landing in its first Sweet 16 last year. At 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Petersen Events Center, the No. 24-ranked Panthers (5-1) square off against No. 8 Maryland in what might be the biggest regular-season contest in the team’s history. Last season, Pitt played the Terrapins on the road when they were the No. 3 team in the country. The Panthers, led by Marcedes Walker, hung tight until ultimately falling 90-77. This year, the stakes are higher. Just like in men’s basketball, the Big East is the toughest conference in the land for women’s hoops. With perennial powerhouses like Connecticut, Rutgers and Notre Dame, along with the developments of West Virginia, Louisville and Syracuse, teams will be jostling for position into late February. Marketable stars play for these programs. Huskies Maya Moore and Renee Montgomery are All-American candidates and so are Rutgers’ Kia Vaughn and Epiphanny Price and Louisville’s Angel McCoughtry. And who can forget Pitt’s very own senior shooting starlet, Shavonte Zellous, who is averaging 20.7 points per game and has solidified her status as one of the country’s top guards. Pitt has the toughness, athleticism, star power and coaching to be among the best. The only question is whether you’ll be there to see it. While the Oakland Zoo overflows when the men play St. Paul’s preschool, you could fit several large animals from the other zoo a few miles away into the student section when the women play. Berenato has singlehandedly turned her Panthers from a Big East bottom-feeder when she arrived to a top-25 program now, thanks to her high goals, dedication to detail and a family environment within the team. She also openly pines to get anyone in the seats to cheer on the club, and she knows the team thrives off of the home crowd. Last season, Pitt had two of its largest crowds when playing top-5 teams Connecticut and Rutgers. But those schools had a large horde of fans who traveled to Pitt just to see their team, and they made their voices heard. The Panthers lost each game but nearly upset the Scarlet Knights after losing Walker to injury. Women’s basketball has a different style and is more slow-paced than watching Levance Fields speed down the court to throw an alley-oop to Sam Young. But that doesn’t make the games any less entertaining. Pitt does have playmaker Jania Sims, but she only played in the season’s first game, a loss to Texas A’amp;M, and is nursing a knee injury. She acts as a Fields-like leader on the court, possessing the speed to zip past defenders and find the open shooter. Zellous, however, is the leader of the pack. She elevates high off the floor on her jump shots, making her one of the best in the nation at avoiding defenders and creating her own opportunities. Xenia Stewart is a do-it-all senior who has played everywhere from point guard to center as a Panther. She provides veteran leadership on a very young team. But boy, that young talent. Pitt will be a contender for years to come with this group. Sophomores Taneisha Harrison, Chelsea Cole and Shayla Scott all received vital playing time as rookies and backups last year. Now, Harrison is second on the team in scoring at 11.8 points per game, while Scott adds seven points and almost six rebounds a game. Cole joins highly touted freshmen centers Shawnice ‘Pepper’ Wilson and Kate Popovec under the basket to give Pitt the best depth it has ever seen. Pitt has all the elements in place to make a deeper run in the NCAA Tournament. Last year, it even outlasted the mighty men. All it needs is an insanely devoted and loud student fan base. So check the Panthers out before the Steelers play the Cowboys on Sunday. The Berenato Bunch would undoubtedly appreciate it. E-mail Zack at zackchakan@gmail.com.