Pitt looks to stay hot at Connecticut

After obtaining a program-best record of 20-5 Tuesday with its fifth-consecutive victory,… After obtaining a program-best record of 20-5 Tuesday with its fifth-consecutive victory, Pitt women’s basketball is looking to break a 14-year losing streak at Connecticut Saturday. The Huskies are 129-2 at home in the Big East since their 1993 loss to the Panthers.

Pitt (20-5, 8-4 Big East) beat the Cincinnati Bearcats 55-44 Tuesday at the Petersen Events Center. With four games remaining in the season, Pitt sees the UConn matchup as one more in a series of important steps before the Big East tournament.

“We just feel like we can go into Connecticut and really play with some heart and emotion,” Pitt head coach Agnus Berenato said. “We play with good players. We’re getting better every year.

“Connecticut’s the cream – they’re No. 4 team in the country. They’re the creme de la creme, and that’s what you want to achieve to be.”

In the last meeting, the Panthers lost 65-54 after trailing by only three points at halftime. At season’s end, the Huskies finished 14-2 in the Big East while Pitt finished 9-7.

UConn already holds a 23-2 record overall and 12-0 record in the Big East. Its 84-56 win against Louisville Tuesday was its ninth-straight and its fourth-straight over a ranked opponent.

The Huskies (No. 5 AP/No. 4 ESPN/USA Today Coaches’) will prove tough opponents for Pitt with returnee 5-7 sophomore guard Renee Montgomery leading the way. Alongside Montgomery, freshman star Tina Charles, a 6-3 center from Jamaica, N.Y., who was named last week’s Big East Freshman of the Week, averages 16.5 points and 9.5 rebounds.

Montgomery scored 20 points in the game against Louisville, earning her fifth-consecutive game scoring double digits, and her 19th for the season.

Forward Charde Houston will be one to watch defensively – she had the Big East high for the season as well as a personal best record of eight steals against Louisville.

UConn isn’t the only team in the upcoming match up with high scorers, though.

Pitt junior center Marcedes Walker scored 11 points against Cincinnati, and sophomore guard Xenia Stewart added 10 points and five steals.

But redshirt sophomore Shavonte Zellous led Pitt with 25 points against Cincinnati, keeping her pace as one of the top scorers in the conference.

“The team feels great about the UConn game,” Zellous said. “We’re just going up there, taking the games one at a time. But they’re at home, and it’d be really great if we could take a win out from under them.”

Berenato said she knows that the game will be sold-out, but she feels confident in her team.

“On any given day anyone can beat anyone” she said. “We’re going to go in there, we’re going to attack them, and that’s it.”

Berenato also said she wants to make sure the team continues with the strong defense the Panthers carried against Cincinnati.

“We’re really going to have to ‘D’ up,” Berenato said. “I think that’s really key, our defense and maybe trying to get some offense from our defense.”

Zellous echoed her coach, stressing the importance of maintaining a presence underneath the basket.

“Most definitely we want to work on boxing out and rebounding,” Zellous said. “That’s one of our main keys that [Berenato] has stressed upon us.”

Defense will be an important factor. UConn had four players score double-digit points against Louisville.

According to Berenato, Connecticut’s strong record this season and its prestigious history means the Panthers will have to give everything they have Saturday if they want a shot at the upset.

“Right now, as far as we’re concerned, we’re going to look to try to get win No. 21 when we play Connecticut,” Berenato said. “We take every game for a game, and we’re not settling with 20 wins.”

The Panthers travel to Connecticut Saturday to face the Huskies at the Hartford Civic Center. Tip-off is set for noon.