Pitt wins thriller over USF

When Agnus Berenato came to the University of Pittsburgh in the fall of 2003, she brought… When Agnus Berenato came to the University of Pittsburgh in the fall of 2003, she brought passion and a new attitude to the women’s basketball program. In the fall of 2004, she brought Mallorie Winn. Both moves are starting to pay off for the Panthers.

Winn, a junior who played two years under Berenato at Georgia Tech and sat out last season because of transfer rules, hit a running jump shot with three seconds left Sunday afternoon to break a 64-64 tie and give the Panthers (11-3 overall, 2-1 Big East) a two-point, 66-64 victory over the visiting South Florida Bulls (11-4, 1-1) at the Petersen Events Center.

Winn shot four of six from 3-point range on her way to a team-high 21 points. None were as important as the last pair. After Bulls guard Shantia Grace hit a game-tying 3 with 17 seconds to play, the Panthers inbounded the ball to Winn, who took it coast to coast for the winner.

“We practice that play a lot, either with 12 seconds left on the clock, or 10 seconds or five,” Winn told PittsburghPanthers.com. “I didn’t have time to think about the shot. I just knew I had to go down the court and make one.”

Berenato has guided the Panthers to their best start after 14 games in 25 years, when they started the 1980-1981 season 12-2.

The Bulls outplayed the Panthers in the first half behind the nation’s leading scorer, Jessica Dickson, who finished with a game-high 24 points. South Florida led by five at halftime. The Bulls’ pressure defense forced 21 Panther turnovers, 16 of which came in the first half.

However, the Panthers received a very strong defensive effort, especially from freshman Xenia Stewart, who helped pressure Dixon into turning the ball over seven times.

“For a freshman, Xenia did an excellent job on Jessica Dickson,” Pitt head coach Agnus Berenato told PittsburghPanthers.com after the win. “She had ownership. That’s what you call accountability and ownership on the team.”

The Bulls came into the game 11-0 when leading at halftime, but a big second half from Panther center Marcedes Walker put an end to the streak.

Walker exploded in the second frame for her third double-double of the season and 12th of her career, pouring in 19 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Winn and Walker combined to score 40 of the Panthers’ 66 points in the victory.

The first 16 minutes of the game were a back-and-forth battle, as neither team led by more than four points until Dickson hit a 3-pointer with just over three minutes to go in the half, extending the Bulls’ lead to 25-19. The Panthers cut the lead to one behind a 3 from Winn and two successful free throws by guard Shavonte Zellous.

South Florida opened their biggest lead of the game at 33-27 just two minutes into the second half, but the Panthers worked their way back into the contest with solid play from players off the bench. Freshman guard Maddy Brown came into the game and nailed two big 3-pointers and – with the game tied at 43 – Danielle Taylor came off the bench to hit a jumper and give the Panthers a 45-43 lead.

With just under two minutes to play, Walker hit a layup to give the Panthers a 64-59 lead, setting up the last minute heroics.

The Panthers are back in action Wednesday when the head to St. John’s for a conference road game in New York. When the Panthers return home, they will once again host “Pack the Petersen” on January 14 against Providence. All tickets for the game are one dollar.