Pondexter and Rutgers too much for Panthers

Despite facing a swarming Rutgers zone defense all afternoon, the Pitt women’s basketball team… Despite facing a swarming Rutgers zone defense all afternoon, the Pitt women’s basketball team played in control and only turned the ball over 11 times.

The visitors – seventh-ranked Rutgers – however, committed only six en route to their 15th Big East win of the season, topping the Panthers 65-50 Saturday afternoon in the Petersen Events Center.

Still, this is only Pitt’s second loss in its last eight games and head coach Agnus Berenato knows her team has come a long way in the past three years with a bright future ahead.

“It’s a compliment for anyone to say we’re almost with a team like Rutgers. But we’re not looking to emulate any one program. We’re the University of Pittsburgh, and I think that we have everything here to have our own identity and to develop our own personality,” Berenato said.

Even Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer was quick to point our Berenato’s progress.

“She’s done a great job. She and her staff have really brought the level of competition up. I believe the future is very bright for Pittsburgh. Very, very bright,” Stringer, the three-time National Coach of the Year, said.

Early on, Pitt (18-8 overall, 9-6 Big East) seemed to come out inspired after the honoring of the lone senior, Cheron Taylor.

But after holding a 4-2 lead with more than three minutes gone by, Pitt found out why Rutgers is undefeated in conference play. The Scarlet Knights went on a quick spurt and the Panthers never saw the lead again, staying behind after the game was tied at six. Even worse, the 4,115 Pitt fans, which was a season-high turnout, were outnumbered by cheers and taunts from the Rutgers fan base.

Marcedes Walker produced for the Panthers inside with a solid double-double, pouring in 24 points – helped by a surprising 10-for-13 free-throw shooting performance – and 10 rebounds. Pitt had difficulties from the outside, however, as Mallorie Winn struggled through a 5-of-15 shooting performance, including a 2-for-6 day from behind the arc.

Taylor tried to make her final presence at the Pete felt with 10 boards of her own, helping Pitt rip down four more rebounds than Rutgers (23-3, 15-0). But a 30 percent mark from the field, most of them jumpers, was not going to get the job done against a Scarlet Knights team that shot 46 percent.

Pitt stayed relatively close in the first half, cutting Rutgers’ lead to 25-22, but two baskets by Big East Player of the Year candidate Cappie Pondexter and a swish from Essence Carson in between gave the Scarlet Knights a 31-24 halftime advantage. Their lead increased to 10 on Mariota Theodoris’ two foul shots with 14:55 left and Pitt never got closer than nine the rest of the way.

“I thought that their defense was really good in compliments to them and I thought we took some rushed shots by our guards,” Berenato said. “At times I thought we weren’t patient enough to try and get the ball inside to our strength, which is our post.”

Though Pondexter had another stellar outing with 23 points, Stringer was not exactly pleased with her team’s overall performance. Still, Matee Ajavon had 14 points and Theodoris put up 11 rebounds and 10 points, which equaled Essence Carson’s total.

Although the Big East is the third-toughest RPI conference with at least nine teams having a shot at the NCAA Tournament, Berenato feels that Pitt’s 18 victories are enough to get the Panthers into post-season play.

“I think that we should get in with 18 and I’m confident the NCAA committee will make the right decision,” she said. “I think we have earned it. I think the team deserves it and the committee looks at their last 10 games. Look at our schedule and RPI, we’re in the top 64 in the RPI,” Berenato said.

But that doesn’t mean she is complacent with where the program is right now.

“We’re not there yet, we’re a very young team and C. Vivian’s been there 11 years,” she said. “Give us a little bit of time and hopefully we’ll have a personality, and maybe six years from now, the reporter will be asking somebody else ‘do you hope to emulate the University of Pittsburgh?’ and that will be a great compliment.”

Pitt will look to bolster its NCAA Tournament hopes when the Panthers visit South Bend, Ind., tomorrow to take on Notre Dame in the regular season finale. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.