Women’s basketball struggles in last preseason game

Aided by Pitt’s struggles in shooting percentage and defense in the second half, Team Concept… Aided by Pitt’s struggles in shooting percentage and defense in the second half, Team Concept defeated the Pitt women’s basketball team, 93-65, Friday night at the Petersen Events Center.

Team Concept was led by Tonya Washington, who scored 22 points, and Takeisha Lewis, who had 14 points and 11 rebounds, while two other players scored in double figures. Team Concept consisted of Women’s National Basketball Association players and professionals overseas who play exhibition games in the off-season.

“One thing we haven’t done in a long time is that we weren’t aggressive on defense,” Pitt head coach Traci Waites said. “We played hard in the first half, but the second half we came back and it wasn’t there.”

Each team’s shooting percentage by halftime is an indicator of the story of this game. The two teams both shot 48 percent in the first half, which led to a 43-39 Team Concept lead at the half. Each team played a different game in the second half; Team Concept shot 58 percent while Pitt converted on just 29 percent of its shots.

The first half was closely contested, with both teams working the outside shots early on while picking and choosing when to work the ball inside. Each team scored 12 points in the paint in the first half, and Pitt converted six-of-13 from the three-point line, while Team Concept made five-of-eight on its three-point attempts.

Pitt kept the score close early in the first half with three three-pointers by Haley Harguth and one each by Laine Selwyn and Brooke Stewart. Later, Pitt was able to get points in the paint with Mandy Wittenmyer contributing nine points down low.

Pitt remained close in all categories through the first half, but came into the second half unprepared to stay close with Team Concept, which stepped up its entire game. By the first five minutes of the second half, the Team Concept lead increased to 10 points; after another five minutes, its lead was up to 20.

At the eight-minute mark, Team Concept’s lead reached 28 points, which led to forced shots by an already struggling Pitt offense. Pitt was able to fight back to within 20 points after an Amy Kunich three-point shot.

A 20-point margin was as close as the Panthers would get. Team Concept’s lead peaked at 29 points at the three-minute mark and finished the game at 28 points.

Through the second half, Pitt was dominated in the paint, 26 to eight, and lost the battle for rebounds, 27 to 15.

Pitt fouled Team Concept heavily throughout the game, putting it in the bonus in both halves, which led to Team Concept’s conversion of 21 of 30 free throws. Pitt was out-rebounded 47 to 29 and allowed 13 offensive rebounds.

“Defensive intensity and rebounding need to pick up. Our defense is a team thing, and I think our defense just let down,” Waites said. “You’re going to have bad nights offensively, but we just needed to play tougher defensively.”

Wittenmyer finished the game for the Panthers with a team-high 11 points and contributed five rebounds. Dallas Williams, Selwyn and Harguth each contributed nine points, and LaToya Kincaid was the top rebounder with seven boards, including five offensive.

The Panthers open the regular season at home Friday at 7 p.m. when they play host to Robert Morris.