Women’s Basketball: Kiesel eyes milestone, Panthers look for rebound performance against James Madison

If there was a bright spot in Pitt’s loss to Buffalo, it emanated from Brianna Kiesel.

Kiesel, who leads the team in points, assists and minutes, usually stands out in any contest. Through the Panthers’ first seven games, the junior guard has led the team in scoring five times. Sunday was no different, as she scored a game-high 17 points, 15 of which came in a second half that featured the resurgence of Pitt’s offense and a comeback effort.

As Pitt (4-3) prepares for its eighth game — tonight at 7 against James Madison at the Petersen Events Center — looking to rebound from its most recent loss, Kiesel is likely to remain the focus of the event. 

She’s nearing a historic scoring mark in her career, just 39 points from totaling 1,000 as a Panther. Only 16 women have reached the 1,000-point milestone in their careers at Pitt. 

But Kiesel isn’t the only player who could light up the scoreboard tonight. James Madison (5-2) features the Colonial Athletic Association Preseason Player of the Year, Kirby Burkholder.

Burkholder, a 6-foot senior, also appeared as an honoree on the Naismith Award Watch List before the season. She averages 19 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. However, Burkholder, the team’s leading scorer, has been inconsistent during the Dukes’ past two games.

Against Mississippi State, she made just two of 14 field goals and was held to nine points in 31 minutes — thanks in part to a 5-of-5 free-throw shooting effort. During the next game against Wright State, though, Burkholder went off for 26 points on 10-of-21 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds.

The result for James Madison was the same, however. The Dukes dropped both contests to mark their first losses of the season after starting out 5-0.

Although Pitt has won two of its past three games, that doesn’t put the Panthers in a much brighter situation. 

“We prepared for [Buffalo’s] matchup and knew what we wanted to run, but we are a team that struggles if we don’t start strong,” head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio said after the game, which began with the Panthers giving up 10 unanswered points. “I’m frustrated with our execution, decision-making and turnovers — things we try to be disciplined on offensively.”

Despite her leadership role on the court, Kiesel is no exception and will have to pace Burkholder to keep the Panthers in the game offensively. Moving closer to 1,000 career points would be an added bonus.

Just how prolific has Kiesel’s scoring been through the start of her junior year? For comparison, Burkholder just eclipsed 1,000 points this season in her final year.

At her current pace of 15 points per game, Kiesel might not reach the milestone against James Madison. It would take an above-average performance from Kiesel, whose career-high point total is 28, but so far she’s proven that she’s going to shine in most of the Panthers’ games.

Whether or not Kiesel reaches that milestone against James Madison tonight depends on exactly how bright she decides to shine.