Women remain unbeaten at 6-0

A 22-win season last year, complete with a run all the way to the semi-finals of the WNIT… A 22-win season last year, complete with a run all the way to the semi-finals of the WNIT and the strong recruiting that followed, has the support from students and alumni of Agnus Berenato’s team growing.

These thoughts have surely made their way onto Berenato’s list of things to be thankful for in Thanksgivings past.

After this year’s holiday, if her star sophomore guard Shavonte Zellous wasn’t on her list before, then she should be now.

Zellous scored 21 of her career-high 31 points, the last of them coming on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, as Pitt claimed the championship game of the Duck Invitational, held on the campus of the University of Oregon, last weekend.

Her last-second shot capped off a 71-70 come-from-behind win over Boise State in the finals, pushing Pitt’s record to 6-0 on the season to match the best start in program history.

“This was an unbelievably terrific win for the University of Pittsburgh,” Berenato said on the school’s athletic Web site. “We knew we had to get close at half, within 10 points. With Marcedes (Walker) and Shavonte on the bench most of the first half in foul trouble, we had to play patient defense.”

Patience can be hard to come by when your team falls behind 22-7 early. The Broncos not only sprinted out to the early lead, but also forced Walker, the Panthers’ second-leading scorer, to the bench with two early fouls. Zellous committed one of her own, earning her a seat next to Walker for most of the first half.

Without its two stars, Pitt still did just enough to chip away at the lead.

Freshman Jania Sims hit a jumper right before the half to close within 38-27 at intermission. The team had kept the game within striking distance as Zellous and Walker came back off the bench to start the second half.

While Walker (five points, three rebounds) ultimately fouled out in only nine minutes of play, Zellous went off in the second half, leading Pitt to a quick 7-0 spurt to open the period. As close as the Panthers got, they wouldn’t take the lead until a jump shot by Xenia Stewart made it 47-46 with 11 minutes to go.

Zellous took control from there, scoring 14 of the Panthers’ final 19, including the final shot, to give Pitt the championship.

“Shavonte was awesome for us again tonight,” Berenato said. “Xenia really stepped up and Selena Nwude was huge in this game.”

Zellous’ total eclipsed her previous career-high by three points, a mark she set only two nights earlier in a 59-51 win over Utah in the tournament’s first round.

“Shavonte has been playing very focused basketball,” Berenato said. “She was excited to play this game and was not going to let us lose. Danielle Taylor, Ashleigh Braxton and Selena Nwude played really well tonight, giving us big minutes as well.”

Like they would in the championship game, the Panthers fell behind early in their first-round matchup with Utah

A tip-in by Nwude, who ended the game with nine points and five rebounds, gave Pitt the lead right before halftime. The Utes stormed out to a three-point lead early in the second half, but Zellous and Walker (12 points in 26 minutes) proved to be too much for Utah, scoring both inside and outside to take a nine-point lead at 57-48.

Utah threatened once more, but Pitt hit 21 of its 24 free throws to close out the game and set up the barnburner with the Broncos.

Pitt will visit Akron Wednesday night before retuning home to the Petersen Events Center next weekend. Penn State will come to town on Friday, Dec. 1 while cross-town rival Robert Morris will follow four days later.