Women’s basketball loses despite great defense

Basketball games can typically be won with great defense, but not when the offense fails to… Basketball games can typically be won with great defense, but not when the offense fails to make shots.

The Pitt women’s basketball team (11-11 overall, 3-8 Big East), despite holding St. John’s to only three second-half field goals, still dropped its fifth straight contest, 49-39. The Panthers only managed to hit 25.5 percent of its shots from the field.

“I thought we played great defense,” head coach Agnus Berenato said. “I just don’t think you can hold a team to 23 percent shooting and have them outscore you.”

The shooting percentage was the worst for any Panther opponent this season, but the Red Storm (17-6, 6-6) made 15 of 21 second-half free throws to hang on for the win.

“I’ve never been involved in a game where we held a team to three field goals in the second half and we got outscored,” Berenato said. “We got outscored on the free-throw line.”

Overall, St. John’s shot 72.2 percent from the free-throw line. Pitt, on the other hand, shot 57.9 percent from the charity stripe.

After trailing 27-20 at the half, the Panthers were held scoreless in the second half until guard Amy Kunich knocked down a 3-pointer with 16:09 remaining to make the score 28-23. Following Kunich’s basket, Pitt was held scoreless for another two minutes, 47 seconds when Katie Histed ended the drought with a 3 of her own that brought Pitt within nine, 35-26.

Center Marcedes Walker then took over for the Panthers. Walker, who led the Panthers with 12 points, scored 10 of them in a three-minute span in the second half, with her last field goal coming at the 6:35 mark. That field goal would be the Panthers’ last of the game.

“We went inside to her,” Berenato said. “I think that it helped us, but at the same time, we needed some play for our guards.”

Five Pitt guards combined for 15 points, three assists and nine rebounds, while committing 14 turnovers. St. John’s guard Kia Wright had a game-high 15 points to go along with her three assists and eight rebounds. She did, however, turn the ball over six times.

“I was just very disappointed,” Berenato said. “We have a problem scoring. We didn’t have [anyone] step up and score. We need more scoring from our guards. We need to have more of an inside-outside game.”

The one bright point for the Pitt guards was the return of freshman Karlyle Lim, who had missed the previous 11 games because of a stress fracture in her foot. Lim logged 21 minutes against the Red Storm, scoring five points and grabbing two rebounds.

“She was great,” Berenato said. “She didn’t want to come out, but our trainer was really cautious. She just helps so much to take the pressure off of Amy [Kunich]. She was great. She really did help us.”

While Lim is expected to be sore, and may possibly practice today, Berenato said she should be ready to play again Wednesday when the Panthers are back in action at home against Big East rival West Virginia.

The game is slated for a 7 p.m. tip-off at the Petersen Events Center.