Lim leads offense in win over ‘Cuse

Karlyle Lim played herself into the starting lineup for Pitt’s women’s basketball team… Karlyle Lim played herself into the starting lineup for Pitt’s women’s basketball team Tuesday night at Syracuse.

As a starter for the first time this season, Lim delivered.

The junior point guard tied a career high with 16 points while handing out four assists in 29 minutes of play. She was five-of-nine from the field and hit six of her seven attempts from the free-throw line as Pitt (14-3, 2-2 Big East) outlasted the Orange, 84-75.

“I am so proud of Karlyle,” Berenato said on PittsburghPanthers.com. “She earned her first start of the season tonight and really played well. This was a tight game, and she kept her composure and really stepped up her play.”

The No. 25-ranked Panthers had four players reach double figures in scoring, including Lim.

Guard Xenia Stewart led the team with 20 points, while Shavonte Zellous and Marcedes Walker added 19 and 17 points, respectively. Zellous and Walker also added a combined 17 rebounds.

The victory came three days after the Panthers failed to pull out a win at home against a five-win St. John’s club. The game against Syracuse (8-11, 2-4) – which was inside the Carrier Dome – served as a solid road test for Berenato’s team.

“A win on the road is huge for us in this league,” she said. “It has been hard for us to maintain a large lead, and I am excited that we pulled it out tonight. We weathered the storm, because this is a tough facility to play in.”

Pitt used a combination of good all-around passing while searching for the best open shot. The Panthers shot 46.9 percent from the field and tallied 21 assists on 30 field goals.

Pitt shot four-of-10 from 3-point range. Syracuse, on the other hand, connected on one of its 10 3-point attempts while shooting 40.4 percent for the game.

The Panthers extended an early lead at 15-5 after Stewart sunk a layup. Over the next eight minutes, Pitt lengthened the lead to 20 points at 37-17 with 5:48 left in the first half.

The lead was short-lived, however, as the Orange cut the deficit to one point in the second half at 51-50. At 12:33 left, though, Walker put in an easy basket that led the Panthers to a 21-5 run that put the game out of reach.

Syracuse made one last attempt at a comeback, but Lim and freshman point guard Jania Sims combined to make six free throws in the final minute to seal the victory.

Fantasia Goodwin led the Orange in scoring, posting 22 points on seven-of-12 shooting. She also pulled down nine rebounds. Nicole Michael posted a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

The Panthers return to action Saturday when they host South Florida at the Petersen Events Center for a Big East matchup. Tip-off for that game is set for 2 p.m.