It’s always hard to say goodbye.

And for the first time in recent years, the Pitt women’s… It’s always hard to say goodbye.

And for the first time in recent years, the Pitt women’s basketball team must say goodbye to a key player on its team.

It couldn’t happen at a worse time, too, coming off a season in which head coach Agnus Berenato completely turned around the program.

A magical run by Berenato’s Bunch ended Monday evening with a 77-64 loss at Marquette in the Final Four of the women’s National Invitation Tournament, finishing the Panthers at 22-11.

No doubt a bittersweet ending to a great season, but the even greater loss for the team exists when looking towards next year.

Cheron Taylor, the team’s lone senior, won’t be there, and will never suit up for Berenato and Pitt again.

The 5-foot-11 senior started in all 33 games for the Panthers this season, averaging 4.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Not eye-popping stats for anyone who failed to witness her play, but for those of you who did, you know what she meant to this team.

The Detroit, Mich., native displayed a work ethic on the court unparalleled by anyone else. With that, she fit the stereotype known to Pittsburgh sports figures perfectly – a hard, tough worker who got the most out of her talent.

Playing a bit undersized at times, Taylor still beat most centers to the ball underneath the basket and always hit the high-percentage shot.

Of her 157 points scored this year, they mostly came from inside the paint, where it showed through her 50 percent (48-for-96) shooting from the field.

Her all-out-hustle mentality also showed in an 18-rebound performance against Louisville earlier in the season and when she posted her second career double-double against Ole Miss in the WNIT.

Pitt will miss her do-it-all style, but it surely never went overlooked.

Berenato, after Taylor’s career-high 18 rebounds against Louisville, said “Cheron Taylor is giving us every ounce of her body. For her to get 18 rebounds, undersized as she is, that’s outstanding.

“The rest of the team feeds off of her and her intensity on the court.”

Truer words were never spoken. In a time of a completely revamped women’s roster with all new youngsters and transfer sensation Mallorie Winn, the team needed leadership out of a veteran who’d been around the program and bought what Berenato was selling.

Berenato knew this and mentioned it during the preseason in the media guide.

“Cheron has been around for three years and I know she wants to have a successful senior year,” she said. “As our only senior, I’ll be counting on Cheron to take a leadership role and I think she will use that as motivation to finish with a strong season.”

Taylor provided that, and more, especially since the depth at forward tailed off when sophomore Vika Sholokhova exited the team.

If you never saw her play, you missed out. And if you still can’t get what I’m saying, let me try to compare her elsewhere.

OK, what she added to the women’s team mirrored that of the efforts put forth on the men’s side by a few recent standouts. Think a Jaron Brown, or Chevon Troutman. Better yet, I won’t even make you think back a year, try Levon Kendall.

What lies ahead in the future for Taylor no one knows, but if it’s basketball, some team somewhere should know they’d be getting a consistent, versatile player by acquiring her.

In Pitt’s 2005-06 women’s basketball media guide, Taylor lists her basketball fantasy as, “to play overseas.”

Well, here’s to you, Ms. Taylor, and to accomplishing that fantasy. I think I speak on behalf of Pitt’s women’s basketball followers – either old or new – when I say thanks for the season and your efforts in helping Berenato turn Pitt into a winner.

Alan Smodic is a Senior Staff Writer for The Pitt News. E-mail him your thoughts on Taylor and the Pitt women’s basketball team at [email protected].