Jan. 4, 2006

Final Stats

CHICAGO - Pitt's women's basketball team gave No. 11 DePaul and its 30-game home winning streak a scare but dropped a close 81-75 decision to the Blue Demons on Tuesday evening at the DePaul Athletic Center in Chicago.

The Panthers (10-3, 1-1 Big East) had their five-game winning streak snapped but stayed close to the Blue Demons (14-1, 1-1) the entire game, even leading by as many as five points in the second half.

The teams started on fire from the field as Pitt and DePaul traded baskets throughout the first half. Pitt led for the majority of the first frame but the Blue Demons used jump shots from Allie Quigley and the inside game of Khara Smith to take a three-point lead. With time running out, Pitt junior Mallorie Winn (San Diego, Calif./Bishop's/Georgia Tech) hit a running three-pointer at the buzzer to tie the contest at 47-47 heading into the break.

The Panthers were able to stop the potent Blue Demon offense for a period during the beginning of the second half but just couldn't keep Smith away from the basket and Quigley from hurting them from the outside.

Smith had a game-high 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting and added 14 rebounds in 36 minutes of action. Quigley made 11-of-23 shots, including two three-pointers, for 26 points and five assists.

Four Panthers ended up in double figures, led by sophomore Marcedes Walker (Philadelphia, Pa./University City) and freshman Maddy Brown (Honeoye Falls, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima). Walker had 18 points and a team-high eight rebounds in a career-high 35 minutes of action, while Brown came off the bench to score 18 points, including four three-pointers.

Winn added 14 points, five rebound, five assists and a career-high two blocks in 39 minutes, while Shavonte Zellous (Orlando, Fla./Jones) scored 11 points and added seven rebounds and a game-high three steals.

The game was broadcast nationally on CSTV, the first of two consecutive television games for the Panthers. Pitt will host USF on Sunday, Jan. 8, at 2 p.m. in the Big East Game of the Week. The game will air locally on WTAE Channel 4.

NOTES: The Panthers suffered a tale of two halves, shooting 57.6 percent from the field in the first half but just 29 percent in the second frame...DePaul finished the game with a 47.8 percent clip and made 11 of its 15 free throws, compared to 13 of 24 for the Panthers.