Women’s hoops wins

Pitt women’s basketball coach Agnus Berenato must have said something constructive during… Pitt women’s basketball coach Agnus Berenato must have said something constructive during halftime of Pitt’s Saturday contest with DePaul.

An 11-2 run right out of the halftime break, marked by deflections, high-percentage shots and a renewed intensity, propelled Pitt ahead, 51-49, after trailing the entire first half.

And the Panthers never looked back.

Pitt (21-7, 9-6 Big East) fell behind by as many as eight points to Big East foe DePaul in the first period, but a resurgent Shavonte Zellous and consistent Marcedes Walker led the Panthers to an 87-80 victory at the Petersen Events Center.

The win snapped Pitt’s two-game losing streak.

“We felt pressure and felt this was a big program game,” Berenato said. “We feel like 21 wins is good. It means we can go into our next game with a little pep in our step.”

Walker powered Pitt with 22 points and 10 rebounds. The 6-foot-3 center was queen of her domain, often requiring two or three defenders to drop down to the post to guard her.

It was outside the 3-point line, however, where DePaul made its mark. Entering the contest, DePaul ranked third in the nation in 3-point shooting.

And the Blue Demons showed it, sinking nine 3-pointers at critical spots throughout the matchup.

“They have a phenomenal transition game,” Berenato said. “They have great shooters.”

Junior shooting guard Allie Quigley led the Blue Demons with four 3-pointers, finishing with 20 points. Quigley scored 15 of her 20 points in the first half, but in the second period, the 6-footer shot two-for-eight and did not make a 3.

“She’s a great shooter,” Berenato said. “[The coaches and I] were confused as to why [our players] wanted to make her look good on our floor. [At halftime], we knew we had to address it. So wherever she was on the perimeter, there was someone with her.”

But it was freshman Ashleigh Braxton who nailed the biggest long-range jumpers, splashing two back-to-back 3-pointers to help Pitt retain its lead.

“[Zellous] is always telling me to keep shooting and keep shooting,” Braxton said. “And my shots just went in. It was definitely an energy booster.”

A defense-slicing pass by freshman guard Jania Sims moments after Braxton’s second 3-pointer found Walker alone underneath the basket. Walker’s layup gave Pitt its biggest lead of the game, 72-66, and Sims one of her game-high nine assists.

The 5-7 freshman finished with 12 rebounds and nine points as well.

“[Sims] was one point and one assist away from a triple-double,” Berenato said. “She was really, really strong.”

DePaul did not fade, however, using its 2-2-1 half-court trap to stick with the hosts. But the Blue Demons shot just 36 percent in the second half, often preventing them from setting up their press.

“You have to score to be able to press,” DePaul head coach Doug Bruno said. “It was their defense against us that didn’t allow us to score or get into our press.”

Still, 6-1 forward Caprice Smith tallied several unchallenged points in the paint, leading DePaul with 23 points. The junior snagged six rebounds and shot nine-for-18 but fouled out with one minute remaining.

The foul that disqualified her from the remainder of the game sent Walker to the free-throw line. The 60-percent free-throw shooter sank her first of two foul shots and pushed Pitt’s lead to an insurmountable 79-73.

“Pitt’s players did a great job of bringing their intensity out of the locker room [at halftime],” Bruno said. “Coaches are always quick to blame their own team in a loss, but I thought Pitt’s players did a great job of stepping up in the second half.”

Zellous struggled in the first half, shooting two-for-13. The sophomore had two turnovers as well but hit all four of her free-throw attempts.

“[Zellous] was hesitant,” Berenato said of her team’s leading scorer. “I thought she was passive.”

But the 5-10 wing traveled to the foul line 10 times in the second half, shooting seven-for-10 from the free-throw line. Her baseline jump shot also fell five times, ending her night at seven-for-25 shooting.

“She made the decision to attack,” Berenato said. “That’s when she has fun. It’s supposed to be fun because then you can be creative. It doesn’t have to be a set play for Zellous to score. She showed that [Saturday].”

The Panthers return to action tonight at Georgetown. Pitt’s final regular-season game tips off at 7:30 p.m.