Pitt women drop ACC opener vs. Hokies
Despite shooting 75% from the floor across the first 20 minutes of play, the Pitt women’s team dropped its ACC opener Thursday night to Virginia Tech (6-0, 1-0), 8871, in Blacksburg, Va.
Dayshanette Harris and Jayla Everett each had more than 20 points in the loss for the Panthers (2-2, 0-1 ACC).
Harris had her best game of the season as she netted a season-best 22 points, a career-high 9 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals in 32 minutes.
Everett finished off her strong night with her third consecutive 20-plus-point effort as she netted 21 points and 2 rebounds while connecting on a season-best 6 three-pointers. Harris and Everett are the first set of Pitt teammates to net 20plus-points each since Danielle Garven and Cassidy Walsh did it against North Carolina in 2018.
With the loss, Pitt falls to 5-11 all time against the Hokies. The Panthers also fell to 0-8 in ACC openers.
Pitt shot 44.3% from the floor, marking the fourth consecutive game that Pitt has shot over 40% from the floor to start the season.
West Virginia
The Mountaineers women’s team was handed a 65-45 loss by No. 7-ranked Baylor (3-1, 1-0 Big 12 Conference) at WVU Coliseum in
Morgantown. Sophomore guard Kirsten Deans led the Mountaineers (4-1, 0-1) in scoring with 10 points. It marked the fourth time this season that Deans has finished in double figures.
Sophomore forward Esmery Martinez led the team on the glass with 12 rebounds. The Mountaineers shot 15 of 54 (27.8%) from the field, including 2 of 9 (22.2%) from the 3-point range. WVU was 13 of 21 (61.9%) from the freethrow line, compared to Baylor’s 9 of 12 (75%).
Western Kentucky
Charles Bassey had a career-high 29 points plus 14 rebounds as host Western Kentucky beat Gardner-Webb, 86-84. Josh Anderson had 16 points for WKU (4-2). Luke Frampton added 15 points and Kenny Cooper had six assists. Jacob Falko had 19 points for the Runnin’ Bulldogs (0-1), who play at 4 p.m. Saturday against Pitt at Petersen Events Center.
Duquesne
The Dukes, who have been idle since Dec. 2 after an 81-68 victory against UNC Greensboro, added two games to their schedule. The Dukes will face Southern Illinois at 4 p.m. Monday and Loyola Chicago at 1 p.m. Wednesday. The games against the Missouri Valley Conference schools will be played at Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. Fans will not be allowed at either game.
Robert Morris
The women’s team will open its season with a weekend series against Northern Kentucky at BB&T Arena in Highland Heights, Ky. The Horizon League games will tip-off at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The schedule was shuffled after Youngstown State, originally scheduled to play Northern Kentucky, paused all team activities due to a positive COVID-19 test.