Shavonte Zellous, a WNBA player?

Providence women’s basketball coach Phil Seymore thinks so…. Shavonte Zellous, a WNBA player?

Providence women’s basketball coach Phil Seymore thinks so. And after her performance against Seymore’s team on Saturday, it’s hard to argue with him.

Zellous tallied a game-high 30 points and 6 rebounds in another incredible output, and Marcedes Walker added 18 points and nine rebounds to guide Pitt to an 81-61 triumph over Providence at the Petersen Events Center.

“She is a WNBA player,” Seymore said. “You can’t tell me that she’s not.”

Zellous went 12 of 22 from the field and nailed all five of her free throw attempts. Of her 30 points, 17 came in the second half.

Coming off of back-to-back Big East Player of the Week awards, Zellous again sold her case to the powers-that-be in the conference.

“She’s phenomenal, man,” Seymore said. “She is so good. I mean, her legs, [those] things back in the day were Cadillacs. I don’t know what the car is now.”

Pitt coach Agnus Berenato echoed those comments.

“I thought Shavonte Zellous was phenomenal today,” Berenato said. “I just know she’s big time, she’s special.”

In four Big East contests, Zellous is averaging a monstrous 29.8 points a game. Saturday’s effort upped her overall average to 21 points a game for the season.

“It’s just me going out and playing each and every game,” Zellous said. “I just want to give it to [Walker] and my coaching staff.”

Walker just missed another double-double, but Berenato was pleased about a different aspect of her center’s game.

“The thing I am most proud of her about was her free throws,” Berenato said.

Walker knocked down 10 of 12 shots from the line to complement the other parts of her game.

Pitt (No. 22 AP, No. 24 USA Today) remained undefeated in the Big East at 4-0 and improved its overall record to 14-3. Providence dropped to 11-6 and 1-3.

The victory was the eighth straight for the streaking Panthers. Freshman Chelsea Cole threw in seven points and seven rebounds for Pitt.

Tenacious defense limited the Friars to only 37.3 percent shooting for the game. Mi-Khida Hankins was the only Providence player in double-figures with 16 points.

Pitt’s defensive prowess especially affected Providence’s top three players. Hankins, Kendria Holmes and Trinity Hull combined for only 9-of-37 shooting for the game.

The first half was marred with ugly turnovers on each side. Pitt committed 11 mishaps while the Friars turned it over 10 times.

Zellous scored Pitt’s first six points of the affair by making three consecutive shots in the game’s first few minutes.

Providence grabbed a 9-6 lead after Jessica Clark made a jumper, but the Panthers put on a defensive clinic following the short run.

Pitt scored 12 straight points and went on a 22-2 run that zapped the life out of the Friars. Walker scored all 10 of her first-half points during the time frame.

Providence only connected on 8 of 29 attempts in the first 20 minutes. The Panthers held, leading its scorer Holmes to 2-of-8 shooting and forcing her into five turnovers for the half. The Friars tried to pressure Pitt into turnovers at the onset of the second half, implanting a full-court press, but both clubs minimized mistakes for the rest of the game.

Sylvie Tafen’s short jumper gave Pitt its biggest lead of the game at 65-43 with 5:46 left in the affair.

The last few minutes were littered with fouls and free-throw attempts, and Zellous scored her 30th point with 3:47 to go. She missed one final shot that would have tied her career high of 32 points, which she achieved in the previous game against Cincinnati.

Berenato emptied her bench in the final two minutes, and Ashleigh Braxton scored five quick points to end the game.

Pitt plays at St. John’s in its next game tonight. The Panthers have not beaten the Red Storm since Berenato came to Pitt, but the coach put the onus on her team.

“We know St. John’s has been our nemesis,” Berenato said. “It doesn’t matter what they are, we’re a good team.”