March 5, 2006

Box Score

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Caprice Smith scored 17 points and Khara Smith added 16 to lead No. 15 DePaul to a 69-46 win over Pittsburgh on Sunday night in the Big East Conference tournament quarterfinal.

The third-seeded Blue Demons (25-5) will play the Connecticut on Monday. The Huskies advanced with a 71-60 win over Notre Dame earlier in the night.

The sixth-seeded Panthers (19-10) earned their highest finish in the league in 11 years. But they came undone Sunday night with a season-high 23 turnovers and shot just 26 percent (12-for-47) from the floor.

The Blue Demons scored 30 points of Pitt turnovers and dominated from the perimeter. Caprice Smith's four 3-pointers were a career high as DePaul made 10-of-23 from behind the arc. DePaul, one of five former Conference USA teams to join the Big East this season, is the only newcomer still alive in the tournament.

The Panthers were down just nine points at the half on Mallorie Winn's runner with 2 seconds left and seemed to have the momentum heading into the locker room. DePaul squelched that in a hurry with four 3-pointers in the first 6 minutes and the Panthers never recovered. The Blue Demons led by as many as 31 in the period.

Winn led Pitt with 12 points. Shavonte Zellous and Xenia Stewart finished with 11 apiece.