Pitt welcomes Notre Dame for annual “Pack the Pete”

With a loss to Villanova Wednesday night, the Pitt woman’s basketball team dropped its third… With a loss to Villanova Wednesday night, the Pitt woman’s basketball team dropped its third consecutive game to a conference opponent.

And come Saturday, things won’t be any easier for the Panthers.

The Panthers (11-9 overall, 3-6 Big East) will host another Big East powerhouse when Notre Dame comes to town for the third-annual “Pack the Peterson” event.

Ranked sixth nationally, the Fighting Irish (19-3, 7-2) are coming off two victories over other nationally ranked teams in the past week — Connecticut and Boston College — that have fueled a six-game winning streak.

“Notre Dame is just a great team,” Panthers head coach Agnus Berenato remarked. “They’re No. 1 in the conference, and this is a great opportunity for us to see where we hope to be in the future.”

Last Sunday, Notre Dame ended the Huskies’ 55-game winning streak at Gample Pavilion, their home court, handing Connecticut its first home loss since 2000. Courtney LaVere, a 6-foot 3-inch junior forward, dominated inside for the Irish, scoring 14 points in the win and is sure to play a role in the game against Pitt this week.

Also posing a threat underneath for the Fighting Irish is senior All-American forward Jacqueline Batteast. A three-time Big East Player of the Week and member of the Wooden Women’s Award Midseason Top 20 List, Batteast has scored in double digits 18 times this season, has earned game-high scoring honors on 11 occasions and has five double-doubles.

“Jacqueline is a great inside-out player,” Berenato commented. “I don’t know if you can stop her. We’re just going to try to contain her.”

Megan Duffy, a junior guard, will also be a factor in Saturday’s game. She is currently ranked fifth nationally with a .912 free throw percentage for this season. Duffy is averaging 11.8 points per game with a team-high 5.6 assists (second in the Big East and 25th in the nation) and 2.7 steals per game (first in the Big East and 38th in the nation).

Wednesday night, Notre Dame held Boston College, the nation’s best-shooting team, to a season-low 34.5 percent and forced 22 Eagle turnovers, proving this Fighting Irish team is well balanced and strong on both sides of the ball. Notre Dame has only allowed one opponent to score more than 60 points against them. Syracuse scored 61 on Jan. 19 in the final seconds. The Fighting Irish are also only one of two teams to defeat both No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Duke so far this season.

In the last meeting between Pitt and Notre Dame, the Panthers fell just short of a victory, dropping a 72-68 decision to the Fighting Irish in last year’s “Pack the Peterson” game. Batteast scored 17 points in the game and had eight rebounds to lead Notre Dame in the victory. The Panthers shot 44 percent from the floor for the game, but allowed Notre Dame to shoot 57 percent from inside the 3-point line.

“This year’s game and last year’s game are totally different. Notre Dame was not nearly the team they are this year,” Berenato said.

One of the differences is Panther freshman Marcedes Walker, who Berenato has regarded as one of the most dominant centers in the conference.

Tickets for Saturday’s matchup will only be $1. The “Pack the Peterson” event has sold out the past two years, producing the two largest crowds in Pitt women’s basketball history. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.