Dec. 5, 2001

Box Score

PITTSBURGH-The University of Pittsburgh women's basketball team dropped its Big East Conference opener, 83-64, to Virginia Tech on Wednesday night at Fitzgerald Field House. The Panthers dropped to 3-4 overall, 0-1 in the conference, while the Hokies improved to 4-2, 1-0.

Junior Mandy Wittenmyer (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) tallied a season-best 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting and pulled down nine boards in the loss. Junior Laine Selwyn (Coral Springs, Fla./Coral Springs) added 12 points for Pittsburgh with a game-high seven assists.

The Panthers held a three-point advantage (29-26) with 4:37 left in the first half, powered by 10 points from Wittenmyer. However, the lead was short-lived as Virginia Tech went on an 8-2 run to end the half and gain a 34-31 halftime lead.

In the second stanza, Pittsburgh pulled to within one point, 41-40, but once again the Hokies responded with a 23-11 spurt to take control of the contest. The Panthers never got within nine points after the seven-minute mark, falling in their conference opener for the third consecutive year.

For only the second time this season, Pittsburgh was outrebounded, losing the war on the boards, 39-28. Virginia Tech connected on 56 percent of its shots from the field and held the Panthers to just 36 percent shooting.

Four different Hokies scored in double figures, including Nicole Jones (21), Chrystal Starling (18), Ieva Kublina (16) and Sarah Hicks (11).

Pittsburgh is back in action on Saturday, Dec. 8, as it hosts area-rival Duquesne at 7 p.m. at Fitzgerald Field House.