Return of Wittenmyer should help Pitt frontcourt

The frontcourt of the Pitt women’s basketball team is looking to continue their consistent… The frontcourt of the Pitt women’s basketball team is looking to continue their consistent play underneath the basket with a solid base of strength and conditioning.

The team will return two of its starters from last season’s 8-19 team, which will provide Pitt with experience in a conference that boasts some of the top teams in the nation.

Last season, the Panthers competed well despite having to battle through a key injury to forward Mandy Wittenmyer. With another year of experience under their belts, the Panthers’ frontcourt should return as strong as ever.

Senior forward Dallas Williams had a strong junior campaign establishing herself as a consistent contributor to both the Panthers’ offense and defense.

Williams, who started 24 of the 27 games at small forward, finished the season third on the team in rebounding, averaging 4.7 rebounds per contest while chipping in an average of slightly more than six points per game on offense.

Wittenmyer, who is returning from an ankle injury last season, will be a key to the Panthers’ frontcourt success by continuing to establish herself as one of the rising stars in the Big East.

Before her injury, Wittenmyer, who played in 14 games last season, averaged 13.1 points per game, ranking second on the team while pulling down a team leading 7.1 rebounds per contest.

Junior forward Shelia Stufflet started six games last season for the Panthers, while appearing in 23 of 27 games. Last season, Stufflet averaged 2.5 points per game as a sophomore, in addition to the 2.4 rebounds she hauled in.

Stufflet should be a key contributor off the bench for Pitt and provide another consistent scoring threat underneath.

Allisha Morris, who last season played in 21 games as a freshman reserve center, will look to continue her great strides as a force inside the paint and contribute quality minutes to the Panthers.

Last season, Morris averaged two points per contest while ripping down 2.6 rebounds per game. This season, Morris could be the starting center.

Junior college transfer Latoya Kincaid spent last season as a member of the Pensacola Junior College Pirates.

In her last season with the Pirates, Kincaid was voted the team’s most valuable player as well as the top academic on the squad, which earned her all-conference accolades. Kincaid averaged 13 points per game, while pulling down a team high 10 rebounds per contest for the Pirates.

Joining the Panthers for their first seasons in college are center Bridget Larkin of East Bridgewater, Mass., and forward Cheron Taylor from Detriot.

Larkin finished her high school career averaging a double double for all four years of high school, which included a string of 82 consecutive games with a double double. In her senior season, Larkin averaged a personal best 22.8 points per game and was named a McDonald’s All-American nominee.

Taylor, who finished her high school career also averaging a double double, was a member of the three-time city, district and regional championship teams while playing for Martin Luther King High. As a senior, Taylor averaged eight points and eight rebounds per game, which helped her team to a 20-1 record overall.