Legends fall to Pitt women

Even Legends couldn’t slow down Pitt Sunday afternoon.

The Panthers took an early 5-0 lead… Even Legends couldn’t slow down Pitt Sunday afternoon.

The Panthers took an early 5-0 lead and never once trailed the Ohio Legends in their second and final exhibition game. Despite some sloppy play, including 21 turnovers, Pitt beat the Legends 60-43.

Perhaps the biggest story of the afternoon was the return of several key players to the lineup.

“We had 11 kids play today,” coach Agnus Berenato said. “This was the first time we got to play as a unit and to sub.”

The Panthers only dressed seven players for their first exhibition game Thursday against the Premier Players. Despite being shorthanded, Pitt managed to squeak out an 89-86 overtime victory.

Marcedes Walker and Jania Sims, both important returnees from last season’s run to the NCAA Tournament, made their first appearances of the season against the Legends.

Walker, whose right shoulder was bound by a sling, struggled with her shot all afternoon.

She was blocked several times in the paint and finished with eight points on 2 of 10 from the field.

Walker did manage to haul in five rebounds despite very physical play from the Legends.

“It’s extremely physical and the pain is brutal for her,” Berenato said. “She really gets beat up.”

Sims faired a bit better in her return following a foot injury.

The sophomore guard finished with eight points on 4 of 6 shooting in only 18 minutes.

Mallorie Winn looked very sharp in only her second appearance since missing all of last season with a torn ACL.

Winn also recently suffered a sprained ankle, but she displayed the quickness and agility that became her trademark two seasons ago, when she was Pitt’s second-leading scorer with 15.8 points per game.

“She’s smooth as silk,” Berenato said of Winn. “[She’s] old school. I didn’t want to play her too much. I didn’t want to wear her out.”

Despite only playing 22 minutes, Winn was very efficient and productive. She scored five of the first seven points for the Panthers, including a deep 3 from the corner, and finished with eight points for the game. She also added three assists.

The entire Pitt team displayed a knack for great ball distribution.

Junior forward Xenia Stewart led the Panthers with six of the team’s 16 total assists.

Four players scored at least eight points, led by freshman guard Taneisha Harrison’s 10-point effort. Last year’s leading scorer, Shavonte Zellous, was held to only six points.

“It was nice that we were able to get a win over such a good team when we didn’t get a lot of points from our front court,” Berenato said.

“Marcedes Walker and Shavonte Zellous both didn’t get a lot of points, but I was glad that some of our other players could step up and score. That shows you the depth that we have.”

The freshman class, comprised of Harrison, Chelsea Cole, Ashley Henderson and Shayla Scott, received a lot of playing time and had a big impact on the game. The four young players combined for 75 minutes and contributed 19 points to the victory.

Harrison, in particular, was very impressive in slashing to the basket despite being outsized by most of the Ohio defenders.

The 21st-ranked Panthers will open their regular season on Friday against Charlotte in the opening game of the WBCA Classic at State College, Pa. Pitt will also face Arizona and Penn State during the weekend tournament.

Even Legends couldn’t slow down Pitt Sunday afternoon.

The Panthers took an early 5-0 lead and never once trailed the Ohio Legends in their second and final exhibition game. Despite some sloppy play, including 21 turnovers, Pitt beat the Legends 60-43.

Perhaps the biggest story of the afternoon was the return of several key players to the lineup.

“We had 11 kids play today,” coach Agnus Berenato said. “This was the first time we got to play as a unit and to sub.”

The Panthers only dressed seven players for their first exhibition game Thursday against the Premier Players. Despite being shorthanded, Pitt managed to squeak out an 89-86 overtime victory.

Marcedes Walker and Jania Sims, both important returnees from last season’s run to the NCAA Tournament, made their first appearances of the season against the Legends.

Walker, whose right shoulder was bound by a sling, struggled with her shot all afternoon.

She was blocked several times in the paint and finished with eight points on 2 of 10 from the field.

Walker did manage to haul in five rebounds despite very physical play from the Legends.

“It’s extremely physical and the pain is brutal for her,” Berenato said. “She really gets beat up.”

Sims faired a bit better in her return following a foot injury.

The sophomore guard finished with eight points on 4 of 6 shooting in only 18 minutes.

Mallorie Winn looked very sharp in only her second appearance since missing all of last season with a torn ACL.

Winn also recently suffered a sprained ankle, but she displayed the quickness and agility that became her trademark two seasons ago, when she was Pitt’s second-leading scorer with 15.8 points per game.

“She’s smooth as silk,” Berenato said of Winn. “[She’s] old school. I didn’t want to play her too much. I didn’t want to wear her out.”

Despite only playing 22 minutes, Winn was very efficient and productive. She scored five of the first seven points for the Panthers, including a deep 3 from the corner, and finished with eight points for the game. She also added three assists.

The entire Pitt team displayed a knack for great ball distribution.

Junior forward Xenia Stewart led the Panthers with six of the team’s 16 total assists.

Four players scored at least eight points, led by freshman guard Taneisha Harrison’s 10-point effort. Last year’s leading scorer, Shavonte Zellous, was held to only six points.

“It was nice that we were able to get a win over such a good team when we didn’t get a lot of points from our front court,” Berenato said.

“Marcedes Walker and Shavonte Zellous both didn’t get a lot of points, but I was glad that some of our other players could step up and score. That shows you the depth that we have.”

The freshman class, comprised of Harrison, Chelsea Cole, Ashley Henderson and Shayla Scott, received a lot of playing time and had a big impact on the game. The four young players combined for 75 minutes and contributed 19 points to the victory.

Harrison, in particular, was very impressive in slashing to the basket despite being outsized by most of the Ohio defenders.

The 21st-ranked Panthers will open their regular season on Friday against Charlotte in the opening game of the WBCA Classic at State College, Pa. Pitt will also face Arizona and Penn State during the weekend tournament.