Brown’s quick start propels Pitt to win

It doesn’t take Maddy Brown long to make an impact on a game.

In just 24 minutes last night,… It doesn’t take Maddy Brown long to make an impact on a game.

In just 24 minutes last night, the freshman scored 16 points – including seven straight during a 14-0 Pitt run in the first half – and pulled down five rebounds as the Panthers steamrolled Robert Morris, 66-36.

Brown shot three of five from beyond the arc and 6-for-11 from the floor to lead Pitt. As a team, the Panthers shot 58.3 percent from 3-point range, the third time this season Pitt has hit more than 50 percent of its attempts.

Head coach Agnus Berenato said that with the Panthers hitting treys at such a blistering rate, it makes center Marcedes Walker even more dangerous underneath.

“Last year, if Marcedes didn’t score, we didn’t win,” she explained. But this year is shaping up differently.

“Maddy has a great 3-point shot,” she went on. “They were truly triple-teaming Marcedes, and we were able to find the open girl.”

The Panthers fell behind early as the Colonials used a 13-4 run to open up a seven-point lead, but Pitt answered with an 8-0 run of their own. A 3-pointer by DeSheyna Perry put Robert Morris up briefly, but Pitt’s 14-0 run put the Panthers ahead for the rest of the game.

They led 30-20 at halftime before the offense caught fire again at the start of the second half. The Panthers went on a 17-6 run to put the game away.

Both Mallorie Winn and Shavonte Zellous hit double figures in scoring. Zellous also led the team with eight rebounds and four assists off the bench.

Walker added seven rebounds and six points. Berenato pointed out that the scorebook doesn’t account for how many points Walker’s presence led to.

“I told her, ‘You don’t have to score, just post up hard underneath,'” Berenato said. “‘Every time you post, you’re going to draw at least two players.'”

The Panthers took advantage of the extra coverage on Walker, as Winn was a perfect 3-for-3 from 3-point range, while Zellous shot 1-for-2.

The defense also put on a stifling performance, allowing Robert Morris just 16 second-half points. The 36 total points are the fewest Pitt has allowed since 2000, when they defeated Maryland-Eastern Shore 77-34.

Zellous was a big factor on defense, leading the team with season-bests in blocks and steals. She had the only two blocks for Pitt, and she tallied two of the team’s eight steals.

The Panthers open their Big East conference schedule tonight against Syracuse. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Petersen Events Center, and Berenato and her team will be counting down the seconds until then.

“We’re very, very excited for conference play,” she said. “I think we had a really great early schedule. We had tough games that went into hostile environments.”

She pointed out that at Penn State, the 3,000 students in attendance made all of the difference, and that she hopes Pitt fans can help do the same against Syracuse.