Pittsburgh Falls to No. 23 Virginia Tech, 67-57, in Women's Hoops Action
1/21/2004
Katie Histed finished with a career-high 19 points for the Panthers.
Virginia Tech Box Score
PITTSBURGH
—Pittsburgh’s women’s basketball team dropped its second straight game to a ranked opponent as it fell to No. 23 Virginia Tech, 67-57, Wednesday night at the Petersen Events Center. The Panthers, who fell to then-No. 21 Miami on Jan. 17, dropped to 6-10 overall and 2-4 in the Big East, while the Hokies improved to 14-3 and 3-3 in the conference.
In a back-and-forth first half, there were five lead changes and four ties. Virginia Tech led by four points, 19-15, at the 6:52 mark, but Pittsburgh responded with a 9-0 run to grab a 24-19 lead two minutes later. The Panthers, behind 12 first-half points from Katie Histed (Waverly, N.Y./Waverly), went to the locker room with a slim 27-25 advantage.
Pittsburgh opened the second half on fire and built an eight-point lead (42-34) on a fast-break jumper by Amy Kunich (Monroeville, Pa./Oakland Catholic) with 13 minutes remaining in the game. However, the Panthers went cold from the field and scored just two points over the next six minutes as Virginia Tech embarked on a 18-2 spurt.
The Panthers pulled to within three points, 58-55, on consecutive free throws by Latoya Kincaid (West Helena, Ark./Central) at the 2:19 mark, but the Hokies scored nine of the game’s final 11 points to hold off the Pittsburgh rally.
Histed finished with a career-high 19 points (7-of-13 shooting) to lead the Panthers. Kunich, in her first game back since suffering a stress fracture in her left foot early in December, added 10 points as did Kincaid and Sheila Stufflet (Sinking Spring, Pa./Sinking Spring). Kincaid also pulled down a team-high eight boards.
Carrie Mason tallied 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to lead Virginia Tech.
Pittsburgh shot just 34 percent (20 of 59) from the field to the Hokies’ 49 percent (26 of 53). The Panthers made 5-of-12 shots (42 percent) from behind the arc and 12-of-14 foul shots (86 percent), while Virginia Tech hit 4-of-9 (44 percent) 3-pointers and 11-of-13 (85 percent) free throws.
Pittsburgh hits the road for a Saturday afternoon matchup at St. John’s. Tip off is set for 1 p.m. at Alumni Hall as the Panthers look to defeat the Red Storm in Jamaica, N.Y., for the first time since a 50-46 victory on Jan. 2, 1997.
NOTES: Virginia Tech outscored the Panthers 32-14 in the paint...both teams finished with 12 steals...Cheron Taylor recorded a career-high six steals to go along with six rebounds...the Hokies won the war on the glass, 38-29.
