Jan. 21, 2006

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PITTSBURGH - Pitt head women's basketball coach Agnus Berenato is not a believer in moral victories, but considered Saturday's 65-54 loss to No. 5 Connecticut at the Petersen Events Center another step in the right direction.

Pitt (12-6, 3-4 Big East) trailed by just three at halftime and stayed close throughout most of the second half before falling by 11 points to the Huskies (17-2, 6-0 Big East). It was UConn's 20th consecutive win over the Panthers, dating back to Feb. 24, 1993, but the winning margin was the smallest in that span.

"We didn't lose this game from lack of effort," Berenato said. "I give credit to Connecticut because they are a top-notch program. But I am proud of our team and our effort."

The Panthers had a season-high 54 rebounds, including 31 on the offensive glass - the highest total in a single game by the Panthers in over a decade. Senior Cheron Taylor (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) pulled down 10 offensive rebounds by halftime and finished with a season-high-tying 14 boards, while Marcedes Walker (Philadelphia, Pa./University City) also posted a season-high total in rebounds with 15, scoring 12 points for a double-double.

Mel Thomas led the Huskies with 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including five three-pointers. Ann Strother added 14 points and five rebounds, while Brittany Hunter came off the bench to post 11 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.

A three-pointer by Maddy Brown (Honeoye Falls, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima) just 3:53 into the game gave Pitt its last lead at 5-2. Strother countered with a three-pointer for UConn and another three-pointer by Thomas gave UConn its first lead at 8-5. The Panthers fought back to tie the game at 12-12 with 9:06 remaining in the first half but the Huskies regained the advantage and never lost it.

Down 26-23 at the break, Pitt battled to within two points three minutes into the second frame on a jumper by Xenia Stewart (Bowie, Md./Riverdale Baptist). UConn went on a 20-10 run over the next six and a half minutes to open up its largest lead at 12 points and the Panthers got no closer than seven the rest of the way.

Mallorie Winn (San Diego, Calif./Bishop's/Georgia Tech) scored all 11 of her points in the second half, coming off the bench for the first time this season. Freshman Shavonte Zellous (Orlando, Fla./Jones) also finished with 11 points, recording six rebounds and two blocks in 30 minutes of action.

The Panthers will have a six-day break before returning to action on Saturday, Jan. 28 at Villanova, with tip-off at 2 p.m.

NOTES: Pitt finished with a 25.7 percent conversion rate, making just 18-of-70 shots...UConn made 44 percent of its shots (22-of-50)...each team had 23 defensive rebounds but the Panthers outworked the Huskies on the offensive glass by a 31-9 margin...the win was Connecticut's 33rd in the past 35 meetings between the schools, dating back to 1986...Pitt is below .500 in the Big East for the first time this season, falling to 3-4.